BRIAN JURY FROM NEWTON ABBOT JAILED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT AT CAVALIER INN, TORRINGTON

In March 2024, a man from Newton Abbot, Brian Jury, was sentenced to prison after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman outside the Cavalier Inn in Torrington. The incident occurred in the beer garden of the pub, where Jury, who was already a convicted rapist, committed a disturbing act of sexual violence against the victim.

According to court reports, Jury forcibly pulled the woman back by the hood of her jacket as she was smoking a cigarette outside. He then rubbed himself against her from behind, touched her breasts, and placed a hand down her trousers. During the assault, Jury made lewd comments, telling her she was 'hot' and expressing his desire to have sex with her. It was also revealed that he had previously attempted to flirt with her earlier that evening inside the pub, where he sat beside her and inappropriately rubbed his hand up her thigh.

The victim managed to break free from Jury’s grasp and retreated back into the Cavalier Inn, where she confided in friends about the assault. Unaware of Jury’s criminal background, she was shocked to learn later that he was a registered sex offender, having previously served time for a rape conviction. Jury was promptly ejected from the pub following the incident. He later claimed that he had been assaulted in the pub’s car park by a group of customers, denying any involvement in the sexual assault and suggesting that the woman fabricated her story to justify an attack on him.

Following the incident, Jury fled the scene and returned to a residence in Torrington where he was living at the time. Subsequently, he moved back to his hometown of Newton Abbot. The victim described her feelings in a statement to Exeter Crown Court, stating that she had felt 'creeped out' by Jury’s approach even before the assault and that she had received 'really bad vibes' from him. She recounted that after the assault, Jury sniffed and licked his fingers and made a lewd comment, which left her feeling disgusted and unsafe.

In her victim impact statement, she expressed her ongoing distress, saying, 'It made me feel really disgusted. I feel on edge walking down the street because I am so worried I may see him again. It makes me jumpy.'

Jury, aged 36 and residing on St Luke’s Road in Newton Abbot, denied the sexual assault. However, the jury at Exeter Crown Court found him guilty after a trial. He was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison by Recorder Mr. Richard Stead. During sentencing, the judge emphasized Jury’s intoxication at the time and his brazen behavior, stating, 'You were clearly heavily under the influence of alcohol when you started to take advantage of the victim and pestered her in the pub. You went outside and pulled her back towards you. You humiliated her by assaulting her in such a public place where others might have seen it. She was unable to respond as a result of being taken completely by surprise by your actions.'

The judge also highlighted Jury’s history, noting that he had previously served four and a half years in prison for raping a woman at her home in Bideford in 2016. Despite this, Jury was acquitted of punching a woman who confronted him about his behavior as he was being ejected from the pub.

Prosecutor Miss Zoe Kuyken detailed that Jury arrived at the Cavalier Inn with a friend on January 21, 2023, and began talking to a woman playing darts. He sat next to her, asked for her phone number, and touched her leg, making her feel uncomfortable. When she went outside for a cigarette with a female friend, Jury followed and committed the sexual assault in the darkness while her friend was not looking. The woman later texted her father about the assault, and her friend confronted Jury, leading to a scuffle that resulted in his ejection from the pub.

Jury chose not to give evidence in court but told police during an interview that he had done nothing wrong. His actions and subsequent conviction serve as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by individuals with prior convictions who commit further offenses, especially in public settings where witnesses can potentially intervene.