Hartlepool sex attacker jailed for indecently assaulting woman who spurned his advances

Anthony Sowerby, 21, repeatedly groped the victim and also exposed himself during the attack, Teesside Crown Court heard.

He was jailed for a total of three years after also hitting another victim, his girlfriend, across the face in a separate incident.

The jail term included 12 months of a suspended jail sentence that Sowerby was serving at the time for burglary.

Jemima Stephenson, prosecuting, described how the sex attack victim, who cannot be identified, was shocked when Sowerby, who was intoxicated, touched her leg and asked her to sleep with him.

The woman refused the request with Ms Stephenson adding: “He repeatedly grabbed her, touching her bra area around six times and grabbed her buttocks twice.”

The victim pushed him away when he exposed himself before he followed her and touched her bottom again.

In another incident, Sowerby hit his girlfriend across the face with an open hand during an argument.

When police caught up with him later he was holding an alcoholic drink and was said to be under the influence.

Sowerby, of Emerson Court, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to sexual assault and assault by beating.

The offences were committed just four months into a suspended prison sentence which was to run for two years.

Alex Bousfield, defending, said in mitigation that Sowerby had just started to sort his life out with a new job in a factory and relationship when he made a “terrible mistake”.

Mr Bousfield said: “He clearly wishes it hadn’t happened.

"He was under the influence of alcohol, which I accept is an aggravating feature, but his recollection is very poor.

"It’s going to have an enormous impact on this young man’s life.”

The judge, Recorder Alex Menary, said Sowerby had a bad record for his age and alcohol was the root cause of his offending.

Sentencing him to 36 months behind bar, Recorder Menary said there were a number of aggravating factors of the latest offences including being on a suspended prison sentence.

Sowerby will also be on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

Support your Mail and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on Pools and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.