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© Copyright, Criminal Cases Review Commission 2026.

Ward, James

Published:

On 27 January 2026, the CCRC referred five people’s IPP/DPP sentences to the appellate courts after the Court of Appeal had quashed indeterminate sentences which were imposed on other men at a similarly young age. 

IPP (Imprisonment for Public Protection) sentences were indeterminate sentences intended for serious offenders who were considered dangerous to the public. 

DPP (Detention for Public Protection) sentences were the similar indeterminate sentences imposed on people aged under 18 who were considered dangerous.

Both types of sentences were abolished in 2012, but current IPP and DPP prisoners were not been freed from the terms imposed on them before abolition. 

These five referrals arose from work done by the CCRC to examine the possible implications for other IPP/DPP cases arising from the Court of Appeal decisions in the cases of Leighton Williams [2024], Darren Hilling [2024], and Steven Sillitto [2025] who were young adults when they were sentenced.

In quashing those men’s sentences, the Court concluded that the sentencing judges had failed to attach the necessary weight to the age and maturity of the offender before imposing an indeterminate sentence.  

The sentences in all five of the cases sent back to the courts were imposed on relatively young men, over 15 years ago, none with a tariff over three and a half years. In three of those, imposed 20 years ago before, the highest tariff was a year and nine months. All five men remained in prison at the time of the referrals.

The five sentences referred were those of: 

  • Benjamin Hibbert, who was convicted of three counts of sexual assault at Preston Crown Court in December 2009. He was sentenced to DPP with a minimum tariff of two years. He was aged 15 or 16 at the time of the offences. 
  • Stuart O’Neill was convicted of rape at Manchester Crown Court in October 2009. He was sentenced to IPP with a minimum term of three years and six months. He applied for leave to appeal his sentence, but it was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in March 2010. He was aged 20 when he was sentenced. 
  • Jay Davis was convicted of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence in Portsmouth Crown Court in October 2006. He was sentenced to IPP with a minimum term of nine-months. He was 19 at the time of the offence. 
  • Luke Ings was convicted of two counts of robbery and two counts of battery at East Berkshire Youth Court in March 2006. He was sentenced at the Crown Court to DPP with a minimum term of one year nine months minus 81 days on remand. He was 17 at the time of the offence.  
  • James Ward was convicted of arson and criminal damage in June 2006 at Leicester Magistrates’ Court and was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court. He was sentenced to one year minus 63 days on remand. He was 20 at the time of the offence. 

The cases of Mr Hibbert, Mr O’Neill and Mr Davis were referred to the Court of Appeal, and Mr Ings’ and Mr Ward’s cases were referred to the Crown Court in January 2026.