A man has been jailed for over two years for a “sustained” sexual assault on a woman at a house in York.
Ryan Cameron, 26, pulled the woman into a bedroom, pinned her down and sexually assaulted her as she pleaded with him to stop, York Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Andrew Espley said that Cameron and the victim were sat on a sofa in the living room when he “pulled her onto the floor”. He then sat on her, tried to lift up her top and tried to kiss her.
Cameron, a roofer from York, “took her by the hand and pulled her into a bedroom,” said Mr Espley.
The victim, who can’t be named for legal reasons, told Cameron: “This shouldn’t be happening”.
“He became more pushy and persistent,” said Mr Espley.
She finally managed to push him off and went to another part of the house. She wrapped around a towel herself, but Cameron followed her and continued the sexual assault.
Cameron then calmly rolled a cigarette and left the property “without saying anything”.
He was arrested the following day after the matter was reported to police but remained silent in interview.
He was charged with sexual assault but initially denied the offence and a trial date had been set, but he ultimately entered a late guilty plea.
Cameron, of Boroughbridge Road, York, appeared for sentence yesterday (Friday).
‘Vulnerable and frightened’
In a statement read out in court, the victim said she “felt so vulnerable and frightened” during the attack, which occurred about two years ago.
It “turned my life upside down and made it complete chaos. I’ve been in turmoil for two years,” she said.
She added: “The last two years have been incredibly hard. I’m still trying to come to terms with it all.
“I’ve been left needing counselling; I’ve been prescribed anti-depressants. I started questioning myself; I lost faith in myself and became depressed. I shut everyone out.”
She said her self-esteem was “at an all-time low; my confidence shattered”.
“The incident’s had a ripple effect on my relationships,” she added.
“I still struggle to trust people – men in particular.”
She said she had felt “vulnerable and abused” ever since the attack.
Graham Parkin, mitigating, said Cameron had never been in trouble before and worked full-time.
Judge Simon Hickey said the incident was “out of character” but questioned the defence’s claims of remorse because Cameron had made denials right up to the door of the court and the Probation Service said he had sought to “minimise” his guilt.
He told Cameron he had subjected the young woman to a “sustained” assault and “ignored her pleas to stop”.
Cameron was jailed for two years and three months. He will serve half of that sentence behind bars before being released on parole.
He was also placed on the sex-offenders’ register for 10 years. Under that order, he must inform police of any change in his circumstances or whereabouts.
[tptn_list limit=3 daily=1 hour_range=1]