Man Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Assault in Woman’s Home

An individual has received a three-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a woman in her residence, an incident that occurred after he crashed his vehicle in the vicinity. Teesside Crown Court was informed that Blake McPherson, 31, entered the woman’s bedroom in Stockton while intoxicated and covered in his own blood, subjecting her to a 15-minute ordeal. The court was told that he had previously crashed his car on a nearby residential street just prior to what was described as an “extremely ugly intrusion.” McPherson, whose address is Newton Street in Millom, Cumbria, pleaded guilty to charges including sexual assault and dangerous driving. Prosecutor Philip Morley stated that the woman was watching television in her bedroom shortly after 13:00 BST on 21 September when she heard a man’s voice utter “hello” and the sound of creaking floorboards in the adjacent hall. The court heard that upon opening the door, she observed McPherson, who had blood on his hands and face and was holding a bottle of whiskey. Mr Morley reported that the woman did not recognize him, but he informed her that he “loved her” and considered her “sexy.” The court was informed that she attempted to assist him in leaving, but during the intrusion, he grabbed her breast and kissed and licked her face, with the woman stating she feared she would be raped. Mr Morley further stated that she ultimately succeeded in getting him out of the residence, and he was apprehended minutes later in the vicinity, observed with a white powder under his nose. In a submitted statement, the woman conveyed that the incident had resulted in a “mental breakdown” for her, and she now feared being alone in her home, as her sense of security had been shattered. “I wanted this home to be filled with good memories, now every room brings me back to this incident,” she stated. During mitigation, Jonathan Walker conveyed that McPherson was “appalled” and “deeply shameful” regarding the “extremely ugly intrusion” and extended sincere apologies to the woman. Mr Walker indicated that McPherson, who possessed prior convictions, including for wounding, had no recollection of the event. McPherson also confessed to repeatedly punching and kneeing a woman in the face in November 2023 after she declined to provide him with funds for drug purchases. Recorder David Gordon remarked that McPherson had been evaluated as presenting a “high risk to the general public,” with alcohol identified as the primary cause of his criminal behavior, though he also acknowledged that McPherson had been impacted by a recent bereavement. Additionally, McPherson received a driving ban for three and a half years and is required to register as a sex offender for a decade. For updates, follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.