A man who sexually assaulted a schoolgirl at a pub in Melksham will not serve any prison time.
61-year-old Douglas Blockley appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court this afternoon (Thursday) to be sentenced – after admitting the offence in January.
Crown prosecutor Keith Ballinger said the defendant carried out the sex attack at The Bear, a family-friendly JD Wetherspoon pub in Bath Road, Melksham, in late 2022.
The victim, a teenage girl, was repeatedly touched by Blockley. On the first occasion, he pulled her in for a hug and started kissing the side and back of her head. He was asked to stop.
A short time later, he hugged the victim and kissed her on the cheek. He then proceeded to run his hand down the side of her breast before touching her buttock.
The defendant, of Beanacre Road, Melksham, was interviewed by Wiltshire Police over the incident. He accepted being at the pub but denied the sexual assault.
The teenager, in a victim personal statement, said that before Blockley’s sex attack she was happy, always wanted to go out and had good concentration on her school work.
She said she no longer feels safe going out and always feels she needs someone with her, otherwise she becomes stressed and nervous.
The victim also said that she does not want to go to school and is scared when she’s outdoors. She said her anxiety has got much worse and it’s hard to trust people.
Terry McCarthy, defending, told the court that his client – who was drinking at the time – “had no subjected sexual intent”. He said that Blockley had not, at the time, appreciated how young she was.
He said that the defendant has shown remorse for his actions.
The chair of the bench said his touching was a “completely unwanted assault on a young woman”.
She added: “You were asked to stop, but you didn’t – you continued. You were in drink and that’s an aggravating feature.
“This has a big impact on her and it’s like to go on having an impact on her for some time. We feel you show little remorse and limited understanding of the impact of your behaviour.”
The cabinet market, who is currently off work with a shoulder injury, was sentenced to an 18-month community order. He must complete 25 rehabilitation activity days.
Blockley was banned from entering The Bear pub for 18 months and must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years. He must also pay a fine of £432, a £114 surcharge and £520 costs.
The victim was not awarded compensation over fears the payments would serve as a “constant reminder”.
The victim in this case has the life-long legal right to anonymity. It is an imprisonable criminal offence to share any piece of information that could lead to their identification.
