Brierley to appeal

Disgraced businessman Ron Brierley, jailed for 14 months for possessing thousands of images of pre-pubescent girls, has signalled that he will appeal his sentence. The former Knight Bachelor, 84, was sentenced in a Sydney court earlier this month, having pleaded guilty to three charges of possession of child abuse material. The Supreme Court of New South Wales has confirmed that a notice of intention to appeal has been filed with the Court of Criminal Appeal, giving Brierley 12 months to file the actual appeal. Judge Sarah Huggett had said a sentence of imprisonment was required. She did not accept that Brierley did not know that the images were illegal. She did not think his health difficulties should keep him out of prison.