A BRIGHOUSE man who pointed a loaded crossbow at the head of his terrified ex-lover, while threatening to kill her, should not have his sentence increased, top judges ruled.
London's Criminal Appeal Court rejected a bid by the Attorney-General, Lord Goldsmith QC, to either impose a potentially life-long jail term on Daniel Geddes or to increase the 18-month term imposed on him for making a threat to kill.
Geddes, 30, of no fixed address in Brighouse, received a total sentence of four years, four months, 21 days at Bradford Crown Court in July.
He was found guilty of making a threat to kill, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault - offences relating to his ex-partner, Dawn Merta and admitted two burglaries.
Lord Justice Scott Baker, sitting with Mr Justice Aikens and Judge Loraine-Smith, rejected the Attorney-General's contention that the sentence was "unduly lenient".
Geddes and Ms Merta had known each other for some years and had a child together. For much of the relationship, Geddes had been in and out of prison. On his release in May 2005, they saw each other on and off and the relationship was "civil".
He lived in a one-bedroom flat with his cousin in Brighouse, which was close to Ms Merta's home, and he sometimes stayed there, sleeping in his son's room.
Last November, he had been asleep upstairs at her residence when two males came to the door looking for him. Ms Merta woke him up, but the men came in and immediately punched him in the face before leaving.
The judge said that later that evening, when Geddes and Ms Merta had been drinking, he began blaming her for letting the two men into the house.
He punched her and stubbed a cigarette on her forehead, before producing the loaded crossbow .
He pointed it directly at her head, saying: "Why don't I just do you now?".
