A MAN WHO GROPED A STRANGER IN HER HOME AFTER CRASHING HIS CAR NEARBY HAS BEEN JAILED FOR THREE YEARS
Blake McPherson, aged 31, entered a woman’s bedroom in Stockton while intoxicated and covered in his own blood, subjecting her to a 15-minute ordeal, the court was told.He had recently crashed his car on a nearby residential street prior to the incident, described as an "extremely ugly intrusion." The court heard that McPherson, who resides on Newton Street in Millom, Cumbria, pleaded guilty to charges including sexual assault and dangerous driving.
According to prosecutor Philip Morley, the incident occurred shortly after 13:00 BST on September 21, when the woman was watching television in her bedroom.
She heard a man’s voice saying "hello" and the sound of floorboards creaking outside her door.
When she opened the door, she saw McPherson, who was bloodied and holding a bottle of whiskey.
She did not recognize him, but he claimed to love her and found her attractive, Morley said.
Attempts by the woman to help him leave were unsuccessful as he grabbed her breast, kissed her, and licked her face, causing her to fear she might be raped.
Eventually, she succeeded in removing him from her home, and he was detained nearby minutes later, with a white powder under his nose, the court was told.
The woman stated in a victim impact statement that the incident caused her to suffer a mental breakdown and left her fearing being alone at home, feeling her sense of security was broken.
"I wanted this home to hold good memories, but now every room reminds me of this event," she shared.
During mitigation, Jonathan Walker described McPherson as "deeply remorseful" and "shocked" by the intrusion, offering apologies to the woman.
Walker noted that McPherson, who has prior convictions including for wounding, has no recollection of the events.
In addition, McPherson admitted to assaulting another woman in November 2023, repeatedly punching and kneeing her when she refused to give him money for drugs.
Judge David Gordon mentioned that McPherson was assessed as posing a "high risk to the public," largely due to alcohol use, although recent bereavement also affected him.
The court also banned him from driving for three and a half years and ordered him to register as a sex offender for ten years.
