Sex attacker jailed

A YOUNG Leigh man who sexually molested a woman friend has been jailed for three years.
Crime storyCrime story
Crime story

After the distressed victim made Craig Greenwood leave her home, he smashed a glass pane in her front door and set off back to his own premises.

Police arrived at the scene and were able to follow the blood which had dripped from his wounds to where he was and arrested him.

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Liverpool Crown Court heard that initially the woman only complained to police about the criminal damage as she was embarrassed but when he wrote to her from prison saying he expected to be released soon she then revealed her earlier ordeal.

Jailing 26-year-old Greenwood, Judge Norman Wright said that the sex attack took place in the victim’s home and in breach of trust and friendship.

“She awoke to find you acting in the way outlined.

“The effect on her has been quite profound.

“She has had to move home as she no longer feels safe there and she suffers from flashbacks and exacerbation of her pre-existing depression.”

The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has also had to be referred to a mental health team, added Judge Wright.

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Greenwood, of Bond Street, Leigh, pleaded guilty to two sexual assaults and criminal damage.

The judge imposed a five-year restraining order keeping him away from her and ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Geoffrey Lowe, prosecuting, said that the couple had known each other for about five years and although they once had sex at an early stage of their relationship after that they were just friends though Greenwood was extremely fond of her and would send her flowers and write her letters and poetry.

On January 11 he helped her assemble furniture at her home and they shared a few drinks during the day. It was agreed he could stay and watch a film and they drank some more vodka and the woman felt tipsy and fell asleep.

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She awoke on the settee to feel him lying on top of her pinning her arms down and trying to pull her leggings off. She told him to get off and said she “did not see him like that,” but he persisted in his behaviour and asked to have sex with her and for her to perform a sex act on him.

She refused and managed to push him off and he apologised.

But he then pushed her down and tried again. They struggled for about five minutes and she was crying and distressed, said Mr Lowe. She eventually managed to push him off and outside and he was shouting and demanding that she did not tell the police but after he smashed the glass and left she did so.

Tom Watson, defending, said that Greenwood, who has previous convictions including harassment, exposure and burglary, “is very very sincerely sorry.

“He is distressed about what happened. He is vulnerable and suffers from various personal problems which have caused real issues in his adult life.

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“A forensic psychologist says he suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.”

He has behavioural and learning difficulties, had “an appalling” childhood and found his mother dead in “terrible circumstances”.

He is socially isolated but when he forms friendships is highly likely to attach to that person in ways that people would see as inappropriate,” explained Mr Watson.