A Swindon judge has revisited the sentence he imposed on a paedophile just days ago.

Trevor Fernandes was jailed for 14 years, with an extended licence period of five years, on Thursday after he blackmailed a teenager to act as his sex slave.

Judge Jason Taylor QC quickly realised he “made a mistake in law in the constitution of my sentence”.

The maximum sentence for causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, an offence under section 10 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, is 14 years.

Read more about this case:

It means Fernandes would not become entitled to be released two-thirds of the way through the custodial element.

The Parole Board would make the final decision based on his risk.

But crucially, the sentence totalled to 19 years, above the 14-year maximum.

Judge Taylor said it was “unlawful and in my blind spot”, and asked for counsel to be informed he would revisit the sentence that afternoon.

The court reconvened and both prosecutor Daniel Sawyer and Fernandes’s barrister Beata Kopel were asked to provide their observations in time for a final hearing on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, he announced he would reconstitute the sentence so the maximum sentence was not exceeded.

But, whilst the term on count 13 was reduced, it was made consecutive to the longest term on the other counts.

It means that the overall effect of the sentence remains the same; Fernandes was given a 14-year custodial sentence and a five-year extended licence.

Whenever he is released from prison, he will spend the remainder of the 19-year sentence on licence, and is liable to recall and monitoring.

Speaking at Swindon Crown Court on Tuesday, Judge Taylor said: “The criminality here was extremely grave.

"Reflecting that whilst also managing future risk cannot in my judgement be properly reflected by passing concurrent sentences within the statutory maximum of a lead offence.

“It would not do justice to the criminality.”

Speaking of the fact there are multiple serious offences committed against a single victim, the judge continued: “In my judgement, they will have a distinct impact on the victim as she comes to terms with the depraved acts she was incited to carry out.

“Whilst it may be an exceptional course [to impose consecutive sentences above the statutory maximum], it is merited by the case.”