VINCENT COOPER FROM HOLLIN ESCAPES JAIL AFTER SEXUAL ASSAULT IN ROCHDALE
In a case that has sparked outrage among the victim’s family and the local community, Vincent Cooper, a resident of Gavel Walk in Hollin, was found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage girl but was ultimately spared imprisonment.The incident occurred during the summer when Cooper, after consuming approximately seven cans of lager, followed the young girl to her home.
Once inside, he made inappropriate advances, asking her for ‘a proper kiss’ while stroking her back.
According to court reports, Cooper then kissed the girl on her lips and attempted to force his tongue into her mouth.
When she tried to pull away, he held her down and touched her chest, actions that constitute a serious sexual assault.
The victim, overwhelmed and distressed, managed to escape and ran to her mother’s house seeking safety.
During the hearing at Rochdale Magistrates Court, prosecutor Tracey Kelly highlighted the victim’s vulnerable state, noting that she had recently suffered a miscarriage and was in need of her family’s support more than ever.
The court was told that Cooper had pleaded guilty to kissing the girl on her lips and was previously found guilty of touching her breast during the same incident.
Despite the gravity of the offense, magistrates decided against sending Cooper to prison.
Instead, they imposed a community order that includes a three-year supervision requirement.
Additionally, he was ordered to sign the sexual offenders’ register and attend a specialized program for sexual offenders.
Vincent Cooper, who is currently unemployed and has no prior convictions, sat in silence as the sentence was read out.
The court also mandated him to pay costs amounting to £300.
An application for compensation for the victim was rejected, with the chairman of the bench, Malcolm Bywater, stating that such matters are better handled by the Criminal Injury Compensation Board.
Following the verdict, members of the girl’s family, including her mother, expressed their outrage.
They stormed out of the courtroom as the sentence was announced.
The mother stated, “We are furious.
If I stole a bar of chocolate I would fully expect to be sent to jail but this man walked free.
She has been devastated by this.
We all have.
We wanted him to go to jail but he has got away with it.
After the verdict was read out she fell into my arms crying.”
