Jail for rugby player for a nightclub sex assault
A VISITING semi-professional rugby player, who pulled a woman to the floor in a Town nightclub and simulated sex with her before assaulting her boyfriend, has been jailed for five months.
Judge Gary Perry had, just a week earlier, warned that indecent and sexual assaults would be more likely to be punished with prison terms. In the Magistrate's Court he told Matthew McClean, 36, of Worthing, Sussex, that the day had now come.
‘You objectified the woman in a frightening and demeaning way to show off to your friends with your unwanted macho behaviour,’ he told the defendant, who was in the island to play for his local club against Guernsey Raiders.
McClean had denied sexual assault on the woman and assault on her boyfriend, but was found guilty at trial.
He has lodged an appeal against the decision and has been bailed to a plea and directions sitting of the Royal Court in December.
The incident happened in Les Folies D’Amour in the early hours of 1 May. Neither victim was known to the defendant, the court was told.
Defending, Advocate Clare Tee said her client had drunk to excess that night, but that was no excuse.
The woman passed him and he grabbed her, with the motivation to give his friends a laugh as he showed off. There had been no sexual motivation.
When the woman’s partner spoke to the defendant about what had just happened, McClean launched at him head first and in a struggle that ensued, bit him on his hip. The male victim had teeth marks from this and also injured his thumb.
Advocate Tee said McClean did accept the trauma he had caused to the victim and the impact it had had on her, and was ashamed of his actions.
But Judge Perry said that during the trial the defendant and his mates had seemed to think that what happened had been some sort of joke.
McClean was sentenced to three months in prison for assaulting the man and two months, consecutive, for sexually assaulting the man’s girlfriend. No separate penalty was made for a further charge of assaulting the woman, which he had admitted.
He must also pay £500 compensation to the man and was made subject to notification requirements for five years.
Judge Perry said while he was minded to award compensation to the woman, it might be more trouble than it was worth, and she would likely not want to take his money anyway.
. McClean is appealing his conviction for the sexual assault, and sentence for both the sexual assault and assault on the man. A £7,000 security has been placed with the court.
