Source: BBC

On 22 September 2026 the Court of Appeal rejected an appeal against the sentence imposed on Jerome Gibson, 23, who was jailed for 44 months after offences including kicking down a door, threatening his partner with a knife, and later causing grievous bodily harm to a police officer. The court heard that a police officer, removed from front‑line duties, had used Microsoft Copilot to draft a victim personal statement presented as if written by Gibson's partner (referred to as "F") and instructed the AI to "make a judge or reader weep" and to "reach the highest sentence".

Gibson's lawyer, Lucky Thandi, argued the computer‑generated statement led the sentencing judge at Nottingham Crown Court to place greater weight on harm, but the Court of Appeal judges — Mr Justice Lavender, sitting with Lord Justice Edis and Mr Justice Linden — concluded the sentence was not "manifestly excessive." The judges found the AI output reflected things F had stated in her interview; Denis Barry for the Crown Prosecution Service said the sentencing judge would have seen multiple statements and was experienced enough to focus on appropriate material. The court described the officer's conduct as concerning for the method of evidence gathering but held the officer's use of AI did not appear to have lengthened the appellant's sentence.