FORMER WREXHAM SOLDIER JAILED FOR SEX ATTACK ON 'DEFENCELESS' SLEEPING WOMAN AFTER CHRISTMAS NIGHT OUT
A FORMER solider from Wrexham was jailed for sexually assaulting a “defenceless” woman.Russell David Roberts, of Victoria Road, admitted to the attack before Mold Crown Court.
The prosecution, Mark Connor, told the court how the 37-year-old met his victim – who cannot be identified for legal reasons - while she was on a night out in Wrexham last December with a group of friends.
She told Roberts he could stay at her home and the court heard that she set up a ‘makeshift mattress’ on the living room floor of her property for Roberts, before going to sleep in her own bedroom in the early hours of the morning.
In court, Mr Connor said that Roberts did enter her room once but was told to leave.
Some hours later, the victim woke up to find Roberts had got into her bed and began sexually assaulting her.
The victim called her mother who arrived at the flat to confront Roberts – naked and still in the victim’s bed – over the allegation and asked him to leave.
Police were called and Roberts was subsequently arrested in the early hours of December 15.
The court was told that, when questioned in interview, Roberts claims that his memory of the night was ‘patchy’.
He said he had drunk more than a dozen pints of alcohol at a works Christmas party in Crewe before returning to Wrexham to continue his night.
He then told officers he had no recollection of getting to the victim’s home but did remember and admit to waking up alone and naked in her bed the next day.
The defence, Maria Masselis, addressed the judge and told the court that Roberts would “never be able to forgive himself” for these actions.
Ms Masselis added that Roberts has been working to address his issues with alcohol consumption which he did not recognise as a problem before committing the offence.
Hughes was jailed for two years and four months by judge Niclas Parry who said Roberts majorly abused and took advantage of his victim’s trust that night.
He said: “You acted entirely out of character, but you understand that what you did was a dreadfully serious matter and a violation of your victim.
Affected by having consumed far too much alcohol, you took advantage of your victim by sexually assaulting her.”
