HALESOWEN MAN 'SEXUALLY ASSAULTED TEEN IN VAN AS CHEATING MUM KEPT QUIET'
A man who sexually assaulted a teenage girl inside a van while her unfaithful mother sat beside her has been sentenced to prison.Michael Burgess, displaying callousness, covered the van's windows with blankets and sheets "so nobody could see in" during the assault on the girl.
Following the attack, he pressured the victim to "promise" to stay silent—something she agreed to doing for many years.
Her married mother—who was having an affair with Burgess—chose not to intervene during the assault and later refused to cooperate with police investigations.
Holding what appeared to be a Bible close to his chest, Burgess shook his head as the details of his crime were disclosed at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
At one point, the 56-year-old removed his glasses and wiped tears from his eyes.
The court was informed that Burgess, from Mayberry Place, Halesowen, lured the girl into his van after she and her mother were walking to the shops.
He drove up, told them to get inside, and the girl, feeling uneasy but trusting her mother, sat between him and her mother in the passenger seat.
Before the assault, Burgess engaged in small talk, then covered the van's windows before carrying out the sexual assault.
The girl was crying as Burgess threatened her and her mother, warning them not to tell anyone "or else." Her mother remained silent during the incident, seemingly because confronting Burgess might have raised suspicions about their relationship, according to prosecutor Cathlyn Orchard.
A few years afterward, the girl was distressed when she saw Burgess while shopping.
She confided in trusted adults, who encouraged her to report the crime to police.
However, her mother declined to give a statement or support the prosecution, although she believed her daughter, Ms Orchard said.
In police interviews, Burgess claimed he had an affair with the girl's mother and alleged that both adults engaged in sexual activity in front of the girl, who "tried to get involved." Burgess falsely claimed she kissed him first, and he only responded by kissing her back.
He maintained this false account during his trial.
The court heard that the victim has since experienced complex feelings towards her mother, as well as suicidal thoughts and tendencies toward self-harm.
She is also suffering from sleep problems and flashbacks related to the abuse.
In a victim-impact statement read aloud, she stated: "When I was sexually abused by Burgess, it made me very upset.
I cried all the way home.
It still makes me cry." The trauma has deeply affected her ability to trust men and has caused ongoing anxiety about being in their presence.
She described how she continues to feel hurt and upset about the incident and how she couldn't tell anyone earlier.
Burgess has a record that includes five convictions with 13 prior offenses, such as soliciting prostitution in 2002.
He previously received a three-year community order for three counts of sexual assault.
Defending him, Callum Church said Burgess is "not well," suffering from angina, heart issues, and lung problems.
He was prescribed oxygen while in custody, but this was not provided due to security concerns with the canister.
Burgess has been struggling mentally and physically in prison, and his health has worsened.
Appearing via video link from HMP Birmingham, Burgess was sentenced to five years' imprisonment on May 22.
Additionally, he received a 10-year restraining order and was told to register as a sex offender indefinitely.
