Posted on Tuesday 19 September 2023
A drunken thug who sexually assaulted a woman after he grabbed her by the throat has been jailed.
Kevin Peart left his victim with a black eye after punching her in the face during a prolonged assault then went on to carry out a violent sex attack.
The 48-year-old apologised for his behaviour but a neighbour later called the police after watching her own CCTV footage, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Christine Eggerton, prosecuting, said the defendant kicked and banged on the door before his victim answered and he pushed his way past her.
“He pushed her with full force onto the bed and she landed on her back,” she said. “He grabbed her by the windpipe and applied a lot of pressure to the point where she could just about breathe.”
Miss Eggerton said the victim managed to wriggle free before the defendant grabbed her again and punched her to the face.
She told the court that the defendant then grabbed his victim’s breast while digging his nails in as though ‘he was trying to rip her skin off’. He then grabbed her genitals in the same way.
Police were called by the neighbour and initially the woman didn’t want to get involved in the investigation but later changed her mind.
Peart pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault, one charge of intentional strangulation, and a further charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, following the attack last year.
Dr Christopher Wood, mitigating, said his client had a longstanding history of alcohol abuse but accepted that was not an acceptable reason for the offending.
Judge Christopher Smith locked the defendant up for a total of 45 months for all of the offences after hearing of the impact of the victim being sexually and physically assaulted.
He said: “You sexually assaulted her, grabbing her under the breast, she was left feeling like you were trying to rip her skin off before you then grabbed her genitals.”
Peart was also placed on the sex offenders’ register.
TDC Amie Thornton and Investigating officer Heidi Weir lead the investigation. They said: “This was a vicious attack in the victim’s own home and a harrowing ordeal for the victim, who has feared for her safety but was too fearful to call for help. Thankfully the neighbour raised concerns which led to Police intervention and support for the victim.
“Violence against women needs to stop and hopefully the victim’s courage and bravery will inspire others to stand up to domestic violence”.
Having read what Peart did to this victim, would you want a loved one, a friend or family member to be in a relationship with him? If you are concerned about the relationship of someone you know then please contact 101 and request a Clare’s Law check.