Demand for review of suspended sentence handed out to Shaw sexual offender

Photo: Steven Haslington

Javed Miah was sentenced at Tameside Magistrates' Court

A local councillor has written to the Attorney General seeking a review of a suspended prison sentence handed down to a sexual offender from Shaw.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Shaw Ward and Leader of the Opposition on Oldham Council says he was "compelled" to write to The Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC MP after Javed Miah from Shaw received a suspended prison sentence for an attack on a woman in the town.

The incident occurred at 9pm on December 11 2018 in Oldham after the woman was on her way home from work.

The father of one pulled the woman to the ground and molested her before fleeing when she used the SOS function on her mobile phone.

He was arrested later.

In mitigation, his lawyer argued that a custodial sentence would mean the loss of his job as the sole earner for the family.

At Tameside Magistrates' Court, Miah was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years and will have to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.  He was also ordered to pay £213 in costs and sign the Sex Offender Register for seven years.

In his letter to the Attorney General, Councillor Sykes said:

"Following the recent tragic death of Sarah Everard, the continued safety of women on our streets from predatory males will, I am sure, be especially at the forefront of the minds of all involved with criminal justice at this time.  

"I am therefore disquieted to find myself in a situation where I feel compelled to write to you to seek your urgent intervention in a most disturbing case involving a predatory male who, despite being convicted of a serious sexual offence, was set at liberty by a local magistrates' court.

As the prison sentence was suspended for two years, Councillor Sykes goes onto say: "This offender can consequently now continue to pose a threat to my female constituents and to other women living elsewhere in Oldham."

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