A MAN who tried his luck by cuddling up to a young woman ‘with an obvious sexual motive’ while she was in a drunken sleep has been ordered to register as a sex offender.
Steven Bradshaw was convicted by a jury at Warwick Crown Court of an offence of sexual assault, which he had denied.
The 28 year-old of Liza Court, Rugby, at the time, received a 12-month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work and ordered to register as a sex offender for five years.
During the trial the jury heard that in August 2013 Bradshaw and his victim, who did not know each-other, were both at a get-together at a house in Rugby, and she had had three cannabis joints.
Both Bradshaw and the young woman had been drinking, and she accepted she had given him ‘a peck on the lips,’ but that everything after that was without her consent.
Adrian Redgrave QC pointed out: “The defendant’s case is that ‘I was a normal young person trying it on with a girl, and I did nothing to which she did not consent.’”
In her evidence the young woman said she had been helped upstairs to a bedroom and was asleep when she felt someone cuddle up to her and, thinking it was her boyfriend, had rolled over to give him a kiss.
But she quickly realised it was not her boyfriend and Bradshaw then sexually assaulted her.
Bradshaw said he got in the bed fully clothed, but took his trousers off after going to the bathroom, but could not get to sleep and put his hand on her side.
“I was trying my luck. She responded by turning to me and rolling onto her back and kissing my lips.”
“We were fondling each-other. She then said ‘I don’t want to do this,’ and I stopped.”
Elizabeth Power, defending, said Bradshaw, who had no previous convictions, was in full-time work as a chef.
She added Bradshaw and his partner, who was ten weeks pregnant, were in ‘a far more stable relationship’ than they were at the time of the offence.
Recorder Redgrave commented: “He had too much to drink that night at a party and, in his own words, tried it on, the consequence of which is that he has faced a crown court trial which, in my judgement, is sufficient warning to him.”
