Dad and ‘family man’ found guilty of Boxing Day sexual assault at popular Chesterfield pub

Alan Blakey approached a woman he didn’t know from behind and attempted to pull her trousers down during a Boxing Day incident at Britannia Inn in New Tupton, Chesterfield Magistrates Court heard.

After being reprimanded for his behaviour, Blakey waited for his victim to turn around and tried to pull her trousers down again.

He later tried to blame the victim’s partner – even though a number of witnesses and CCTV footage captured Blakey’s actions.

The 57-year-old was barred from the pub and the incident was reported to Derbyshire police.

Blakey was charged with two counts of sexual assault and pleaded guilty.

In a victim impact statement read out in Chesterfield Magistrates Court on Thursday, September 24, the victim said: “I felt someone’s fingers at the back of my trousers and a pulling motion. I was in a shock.”

The statement further described that the victim has been left feeling ‘anxious’ and ‘jumpy’ after the incident, ‘struggling to sleep’ and still feeling ‘strange’ in crowded places months after the attack.

During a police interview, Blakey told officers he was trying to pull the victim’s trousers up because they were too low on her waist and it was ‘off putting’.

He later pleaded guilty.

The defence described Blakey as a ‘family man who has children’ who ‘was drinking’ in a pub when he made a ‘stupid mistake’ which saw him losing his job and he was ‘ashamed’ by his ‘childish behaviour’.

In a statement read out in court, the defendant said: “I can’t apologise enough. I thought I was being funny.

"I want the the victim to know that it was a stupid mistake.”

Blakey, of Greenway, Wingerworth, was sentenced to 12-month community order including 15 sessions with probation service.

He has been added to he sex offender register for five years, ordered to pay two £160 in fines and £200 compensation to the victim.

While sentencing District Judge Flint said: “I considered a shorter order but from my perspective it would be an artificial movement just to keep you out of the sex offenders register.

"This is the price you pay for not keeping your hands to yourself.”