PRESS RELEASE : Historic child abuser, Michael Egan, to face time in prison after referral to the Court of Appeal [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 21 December 2022.

A man found guilty of child cruelty and assault is facing jail after the case was referred to the Court of Appeal for being unduly lenient.

Michael Egan, now 77, abused the child over 30 years ago when he was aged between 42 and 47. Among the offences, Egan would tell the victim her mother didn’t love her, force her to take cold showers and throw cold water over her when she was in bed. He also kicked her repeatedly in the ribs and burnt her with a lit cigarette. Egan had previously been convicted of wounding the child by throwing a cup at her face.

On 17 October 2022, he was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment suspended for 24 months and ordered to pay £1,000 costs.

Following the sentencing at Norwich Crown Court, it was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme for being too low.

On 21 December 2022, the Court found his original sentence to be unduly lenient and increased it to four years’ imprisonment.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP said:

Egan’s cruel and unspeakable physical and mental abuse have left a significant and lasting impact on his victim’s life.

Child cruelty is never acceptable so I welcome this increased sentence showing that those that commit such cowardly crimes will face significant punishment as a result.