Description of the legal term Concurrent Sentence:
Concurrent sentence in English law refers to a method of sentencing a defendant who has been convicted of more than one offence. When a court imposes concurrent sentences, the defendant serves all the sentences at the same time. In practice, this means that the defendant will serve the longest sentence imposed.
This type of sentence differs from consecutive sentencing, where the defendant must serve the sentences for each offence one after the other, resulting in a longer period of imprisonment. Concurrent sentences are often used when the offences are related or occur within a short period of time, reflecting the interrelated nature of the criminal behaviour.
Legal context in which the term Concurrent Sentence may be used:
Multiple theft offences
Suppose a defendant, John, is convicted of three separate thefts that occurred over a single weekend. The court sentences him to one year for each offence. However, the court decides to impose these sentences concurrently, taking into account factors such as the similarity and timing of the offences and John’s criminal history. As a result, John will serve a total of one year in prison, which is the length of the longest sentence, rather than three years (which would be the case if the sentences were to run consecutively).
Burglary and related offences
A defendant, Emma, is convicted of burglary and assault, both arising out of the same incident. She is sentenced to four years imprisonment for the burglary and two years imprisonment for the assault. The judge decides that the sentences should run concurrently, recognising that both offences were part of a single course of conduct. Emma will therefore serve a total of four years, which is the length of the longer sentence.