SEEKIO WITRIDGE SENTENCED IN CARDIFF FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT OF YOUNG GIRL

A 15-year-old girl was sexually assaulted outside a Tesco Express in Cardiff by Seekio Wittridge, a 25-year-old man, in April of the previous year. Wittridge approached the girl after she disembarked from a bus, staring at her while carrying a wooden plank. The Cardiff Crown Court heard that Wittridge slightly pushed the victim into store windowpanes and commented on her appearance, calling her "beautiful." Despite her efforts to avoid him, he persisted in following her, walking alongside her as she tried to cross the road, grabbing her arm and again remarking on her attractiveness.

The victim informed Wittridge she was only 15, but he falsely claimed to be 14, though her familiarity with his appearance suggested otherwise. He then declared he was 25, and upon her mentioning the age gap, he joked, "So that's 10 years in prison for me is it?" Prosecutor Ruth Smith described how Wittridge put his arms around the girl, stroked her upper chest and collarbone, and touched her legs, which she tried to swat away. When he pulled her back by the shoulder, she responded by kicking him and telling him to go away.

Realizing she was recording the incident and calling a male friend for help, the victim was crying during the call. Wittridge reacted aggressively, questioning if she was speaking to her boyfriend and threatening to attack her with a plank of wood. He repeatedly asked her to "f*** him," and when she refused, he threatened to hold a knife to her throat and rape her.

The girl's friend arrived on scene, and she embraced him, expressing her feelings of disgust because Wittridge had touched her chest. Wittridge apologized, again claiming he was a teenager and calling her "beautiful." He also insisted the plank of wood was his walking stick. After further apologies and claiming he wanted "no trouble," police were summoned. Wittridge was detained and admitted speaking with the victim, alleging she had accused him of being a paedophile.

Initially held in a secure hospital due to concerns over psychosis linked to substance use, Wittridge later pleaded guilty to sexual assault. The court noted his prior convictions for assaulting an emergency worker and a public order offence, where he followed a woman from a pub and asked to go to her home for sex.

The victim's statement described the incident's lasting emotional impact: she now feels anxious walking alone and needs friends’ company, struggles with conversations with men she perceives as threatening, and experiences increased anger, sadness, and self-hatred following the assault.

In mitigation, solicitor Andrew Davies suggested Wittridge’s mental state might have been impaired by psychoactive substances at the time and emphasized his desire to refrain from drugs and settle down.

Judge Lucy Crowther sentenced Wittridge to 16 months in prison, and he was also issued a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, sex offender notification requirements, and a 10-year restraining order. The judge remarked on the severity of the trauma inflicted on the young victim, describing her experience as "extremely frightening" and highlighting the profound impact of Wittridge's actions.