DARLINGTON MAN JAILED AFTER ARTEMPTING TO RAPE A TEENAGER
In Darlington’s South Park area, Malcolm Clixby, aged 43, attacked a teenage girl around 4:50 pm on November 2 last year.He followed her as she was walking to attend a party, then forcibly grabbed her from behind in an attempted sexual assault.
The girl responded by biting Clixby’s hand multiple times, prompting him to release her.
She escaped and went to a nearby petrol station for assistance.
Police arrived at the scene, launched a search for Clixby, and took steps to protect the young woman.
That evening, just before 8 pm, Clixby turned himself into Darlington Police Station.
He told officers, “I want to report an incident I have done – I groped somebody in South Park and attempted to rape her.” He, a resident of Darlington, was questioned by police and charged with attempted rape and sexual assault.
Clixby admitted to sexually assaulting the girl but denied trying to rape her.
A jury at Durham Crown Court found him guilty of attempted rape following a trial.
On October 9, Clixby appeared in court and received a 14-year sentence, which included eight years in prison and six years on extended licence.
The victim’s statement described the significant impact the assault had on her life, including her inability to leave her home during the first month and missing college and work, which affected her career prospects.
She noted a decline in her social life, as anxiety prevented her from socializing with friends.
Additionally, she suffered from intense, vivid dreams related to the incident, and the trauma caused her to develop new and severe anxiety.
This mental health impact has hindered her ability to continue her university studies, leading her to defer her studies for a year while she recovers, despite improvements in her condition.
