Thorney man jailed for sexual assault on '˜vulnerable' woman in guest house

Gerald Neacy Jr, 40, of Wisbech Road, Thorney, Peterborough, launched the attack after sneaking into the 56-year-old woman’s quarters and pretending to be out cold through drink after a night out.

The 40-year-old roofer, who has a previous convictions for a similar matter, then waited until the woman woke during the night to pounce.

Hannah Squire, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how Neacy was in a gang of workmen staying at the town establishment.

She said he had been chatting up the victim, who had only been working at the guest house on trial for a few days, during his stay there in spring last year.

“He became more suggestive, suggesting they sleep together. Every day at breakfast he would say he liked her. He attempted to pinch her bottom,” Miss Squire said.

The woman decided not to take the job and before she left she went out on the town with a friend when they bumped into Neacy and a colleague.

They all had a few drinks together and she stayed out longer than the defendant, but when she got back she found he was asleep on a sofa in her private quarters.

The woman and her friend repeatedly tried to wake him and when they couldn’t wake him she decided to best way out of the awkward situation was to leave him.

But in the early hours she got up as she thought some candles were still burning, but as she went into the living area Neacy grabbed her leg and jumped on her.

In a violent struggle he repeatedly pawed at her as he made numerous sexually explicit comments.

“She was wriggling and fighting telling him to stop. Throughout this time she thought he was going to rape her. This was in her mind,” Miss Squire said.

He eventually gave up and left her, and when she contacted the police he initially denied anything took place between them.

But forensic evidence showed his saliva on her body and he claimed there had been some sexual contact a few days before.

Neacy pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault.

The court heard he was jailed for 18 months in 2002 for indecent assault when he went to the caravan of an older woman, professed his love for her, then started to grab at her.

Lee Mott, defending, said that his client acknowledged he had done wrong and was very sorry for what he did that night.

Judge Tim Mousley QC jailed him and told him he must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

He said “The victim is a lady of mature years and she befriended you and felt safe in your company. You took gross advantage of her in the early hours of the morning.

“You assaulted her when she had just woken up, she was vulnerable and couldn’t believe what you were doing to her.

“You left her distraught, frightened, bruised and in pain. For many months after, and still today, she feels a degree of anxiety and depression, and what you did to her has affected her relationship with her husband.”