KELSEY JONES CONNAH'S QUAY PUB ATTACK: TEN YEARS FOR ATTEMPTED RAPE AND FALSE IMPRISONMENT

In June 2019, a disturbing incident unfolded at The Custom House pub in Connah's Quay, Flintshire, involving Kelsey Jones, a 22-year-old man whose actions left a woman traumatized and scarred for life. Jones, residing on Pennant Street in Connah's Quay, was convicted of attempting to commit rape and false imprisonment after a harrowing attack in the ladies' toilets of the popular local pub.

According to court proceedings, Jones concealed himself within the confined space of the women's restroom, where he targeted a lone female patron. The victim, who had been enjoying a leisurely cycle ride earlier that day and had stopped at the pub to watch a football match with her boyfriend, found her life irrevocably changed by the assault. As she entered the toilet, Jones suddenly emerged, wearing a Hawaiian T-shirt, which he then used to cover her head, effectively blinding her and preventing her from seeing. The woman recounted how she was pushed back into a cubicle, where Jones struck her head repeatedly against the wall, causing her to hit her head and sustain injuries.

During the attack, Jones lifted her skirt to waist level, and the terrified woman desperately offered him her phone and money in a bid to deter him. Despite her pleas, he refused her offers, revealing his intent was wholly sexual. The woman’s screams attracted another female visitor, who entered the toilets and challenged Jones. Seizing the opportunity, Jones ran out of the restroom, breaking free from the second woman’s grasp.

The court heard that the assault occurred while the victim’s boyfriend was outside, attending to a road collision involving other individuals. The victim described her fear, believing she was about to be raped, and recounted how Jones had placed his hand over her mouth during the attack. She was convinced she was going to be assaulted until another woman intervened, causing Jones to flee the scene.

Jones, who works at a cereal factory and is a member of a local scooter club, denied the allegations, claiming he had consumed eight cans of lager at home and that he had entered the pub’s ladies' toilet by mistake. He insisted he had no sexual intent and that he was simply using his mobile phone when the incident occurred. He maintained that he was embarrassed when someone entered the toilet and that the woman confronted him, leading to an accidental fall onto her in the cubicle. Jones also stated that he handed himself in to police after social media reports of the attack surfaced.

However, the court found his account to be unbelievable. The judge, Huw Rees, described the attack as “an appalling attempted rape of real seriousness,” emphasizing that Jones targeted a vulnerable woman in a private space where she had every right to feel safe. The judge highlighted that Jones was well on his way to completing the full offence of rape but was thwarted only by the intervention of another woman.

Jones was convicted at an earlier trial at Caernarfon Crown Court of attempted rape, false imprisonment, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was sentenced to ten years in prison for the attempted rape, with concurrent sentences of three and two years for the other charges. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was subject to an indefinite restraining order, which prohibits him from entering or loitering outside women’s toilets and from using mixed changing rooms in public swimming baths, among other restrictions.

The victim, in a heartfelt statement read aloud in court, described how her life had been permanently altered. She revealed that she now experiences heightened fear around men, relies on anti-depressants to manage her mental health, and takes sleeping tablets to cope with her nightly distress. Her statement conveyed the profound impact of the assault, emphasizing that she would never forget the terror she endured and that her sense of safety and identity had been irreparably damaged. The judge acknowledged the severity of the crime, condemning Jones’s actions as a grave violation of her safety and dignity.