Man jailed for human trafficking has sentence increased

A man convicted of human trafficking is to have his sentence increased by two years, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

Oliver James MacCormack, 72, was given a seven-year sentence in April, with half to be spent in jail and half on licence. He had already spent almost three years in jail and had been set for release on licence by November.

On Tuesday, senior judges held that the original term handed to MacCormack was “unduly lenient”.

MacCormack will now serve nine years after being convicted on 40 counts over dates spanning seven years from 2015 to 2022.

The charges included multiple counts of human trafficking, supplying Class A drugs, controlling prostitution for gain, intimidation and perverting the course of justice.

Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan said: “He portrayed himself as some sort of saviour, rather than a calculated abuser of vulnerable young women.”

There were nine victims across the Greater Belfast area, some were 17 years-old when the offences were committed.

The court heard how MacCormack, from the Lisburn area, targeted victims by supplying them with illegal drugs, making them dependent on him.

The court also heard MacCormack “ingratiated” himself into the victim’s lives and groomed them into sex work and prostitution.

He was one of four men, who all preyed on vulnerable women who were addicted to drugs.

Kenneth David Harvey, aged 74; Derek Brown, aged 71; and 77-year-old Robert Albert Rogers – were previously sentenced, with Harvey and Brown jailed.

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) challenged the original sentence, claiming it failed to fully reflect the high culpability, aggravating features and need for deterrence.

Charles MacCreanor KC, barrister for the PPS, argued that MacCormack manipulated and exploited young women.

He told the court: “Ultimately he used them like commodities to be sold in order to be of financial benefit.

“It was the most serious case seen in Northern Ireland to date.”

Three appeal judges, who backed the PPS case, formally declared the sentence was “unduly lenient”.

“This was a case involving a suite of offending against vulnerable women which requires appropriate punishment to deter this type of behaviour in our community and to soundly rebut the attitude of the defendant. Such attitudes have no place in our society,” the Lady Chief Justice stated.

She confirmed the sentence will be nine years, “split equally between custody and licence”.