Cherie Blair overruled by judge

The barrister wife of former Labour prime minister Tony Blair has been criticised by the Court of Appeal for not sending a cocaine smuggler to jail when sitting as a judge at a crown court.

Appeal judge Lord Justice Pitchford suggested that Cherie Blair’s decision to impose a 12-month suspended sentence on Lee Williams, following a trial at Isleworth Crown Court earlier this year, was “remarkable”.

The appeal court quashed the “unduly lenient” sentence imposed by Mrs Blair – who uses her maiden name Booth when working as a lawyer – and replaced it with a three-and-a-half-year jail term.

Lord Justice Pitchford, who sat with Mr Justice Tugendhat and Mr Justice Griffith Williams, ordered Williams, 43, of west London, to surrender to police.

Appeal judges quashed the sentence imposed by Mrs Blair after lawyers representing Attorney-General Dominic Grieve asked for a review.

The appeal court heard that Mrs Blair had imposed the suspended sentence after hearing arguments from Matthew Morgan, who represented Williams.

“I don’t know what spell you were casting in the Isleworth Crown Court,” Lord Justice Pitchford told Mr Morgan. “This is a remarkable sentence is it not?”