Sex offender has his curfew lifted so he can party at Glastonbury
A SEX attacker who assaulted a young woman when he thought she was asleep has had his curfew lifted so he can go to Glastonbury. Harry Webb was drunk and high on cocaine when he attacked the barmaid.
The 21-year-old was spared jail after he admitted two counts of sexual assault. Judge Peter Blair QC told Webb he would have to serve a three-month curfew, ordering him to stay at home between 8pm and 6am.
But when his solicitor said he had tickets to attend the music festival, the judge agreed to lift the curfew for seven days between June 21 and 27. His victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has branded the judge’s decision ‘a disgrace’. She added: ‘I don’t know what the judge was thinking of but clearly it wasn’t me. I am really shocked and sad that after all I’ve been through the court are so soft on him.’
She went on to say: ‘I’m angry that he will be swanning around Glastonbury watching his favourite bands as if nothing has happened.
‘I feel let down by the courts. It’s a disgrace. It doesn’t make sense to me.’
The woman, who is in her early 20s, added: ‘What Harry Webb did has changed my life. But he’s just had a slap across the wrist and been allowed to live his life as normal.
‘I have kept myself to myself but he is carrying on as normal.’ The victim’s mother explained: ‘My daughter feels he’s got away with it. We don’t want him to go on and sexually assault someone else.’
Webb attacked the woman in his bed after the pair had returned to his house following
‘As if nothing has happened’
a night out. Prosecutor Rob Welling told Swindon Crown Court that the victim trusted him and they had shared a bed before without him making any advances. As she drifted off to sleep she felt him put his hand inside her underwear.
Confused as to what was happening, she pretended to be asleep as he continued to assault her. Once he had finished and she was sure he had gone to sleep she left in a taxi and told friends what had taken place.
Webb, from Wan borough, near Swindon, was later arrested and admitted assaulting the barmaid on December 20.
Imposing a 12-month jail term suspended for two years, the judge said: ‘The consequences for the victim have been devastating in terms of her dynamic with friends, family and trust issues in the future. I hope you understand how that can have appalling affects.’
However yesterday judge Blair was unapologetic after being told of the victim’s distress at his decision, saying only: ‘If she writes to me I will explain my decision.’