Concurrent Sentence

The Sentencing Council's Totality guideline sets out the two ways multiple sentences can be structured: 'Sentences can be structured as concurrent (to be served at the same time) or consecutive (to be served one after the other). There is no inflexible rule as to how the sentence should be structured.' The guideline identifies when concurrent sentences will normally be used: 'Concurrent sentences will ordinarily be appropriate where: a. offences arise out of the same incident or facts,' giving as an example 'a single incident of dangerous driving resulting in injuries to multiple victims' where separate charges relate to each victim.

Passing sentences concurrently does not mean the overall punishment simply equals whichever single sentence is longest without adjustment for the other offending. Instead: 'Where concurrent sentences are to be passed the lead sentence should be just and proportionate to reflect the overall criminality involved which may take the lead offence outside the category range appropriate for a single offence.' In other words, the court will often increase the length of the lead sentence above what a single offence alone would attract, so that the concurrent structure still results in a total sentence that properly reflects the offender's total criminality, consistent with the guideline's overarching principle that the ultimate sentence for any offender being sentenced for multiple offences must be 'just and proportionate.'