A paedophile will spend an extra year under the watchful eye of the probation service, after an Oxford judge said he should serve an extended 12 month licence period.

Martin Holmes, then 36, was jailed for 15 years in May after jurors at Oxford Crown Court found him guilty of repeatedly sexually abusing a boy in the 2000s.

READ MORE: Judge gives 'remorseless' sex offender 15 years

The case returned to court on Friday morning after officials at HMP Bullingdon, the prison where he is currently incarcerated, queried the sentence imposed.

They said that Holmes should have received an additional year on licence as a ‘sexual offender of particular concern’, as he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a child under-13 by penetration.

Judge Ian Pringle QC, who dealt with the case this week, agreed. The extended year on licence was required by law unless an offender received a life sentence or an extended sentence.

Holmes will have to serve at least two-thirds of his 15 year jail term behind bars before he is eligible for release. Upon release, he will serve the remainder of the 16 year sentence, which includes the extended licence period, under the supervision of probation. 

Sentencing Holmes in May, Judge Michael Gledhill QC said: “You do not accept that you’ve done anything wrong. You’ve shown not one iota of remorse for what you did.”

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward