A MAN who was jailed for killing his girlfriend's unborn baby could face having his prison term extended.

Asa Daniel Davison, 35, received a life sentence with a minimum term of 12 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of child destruction, inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice.

Davison, of Gillingham, Dorset, has the prospect of an increased prison term through the unduly lenient sentence scheme, which is overseen by the Attorney General's Office (AGO).

An application has been made for the AGO to assess whether the the Bournemouth Crown Court sentence was too low.

Should law officers in the ministerial department believe a challenge is necessary, Attorney General Suella Braverman QC MP could refer the case to the Court of Appeal in an attempt to get the sentence increased.

Bournemouth Echo: The Court of Appeal sits at The Royal Courts of JusticeThe Court of Appeal sits at The Royal Courts of Justice (Image: PA)

A spokesperson for the AGO said:“We have received a request for this sentence to be considered under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

"The law officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case and make a decision.”

At the sentencing hearing, the Honourable Mrs Justice Cutts, who jailed the defendant on January 6 following a trial last year, said: "You were no knight on a white charger.

"You are a controlling man who is quick to anger and to violence, as the victim discovered to her cost."

The court heard that the chef maintained his innocence and expressed his intention to appeal his convictions, which came when the jury returned guilty verdicts on November 4 following more than 11 hours of deliberations.

A Court of Appeal spokesman told the Daily Echo it had not received any applications from Davison as of yesterday afternoon.

Government guidance says a defendant must apply within 28 days of the date of their conviction, even if they were sentenced at a later date, if they are appealing against their conviction.

If an application is made outside the 28 days, the defendant must explain why they could not send their application in on time, with the possibility to securing an extension.

As reported, prosecutors said Davison attacked his victim in May 2020 while she was 29 weeks pregnant with another man's child. The woman sustained a number of fractures to her face and it was confirmed that her baby had died in her womb. A second assault took place four months later.

The trial was told Davison had been in a relationship with the woman for a couple of months and she was already pregnant before they got together.

The perverting the course of justice offence involved the defendant encouraging his girlfriend to make a false statement to police on several occasions while he was remanded in custody.

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