JASON BROWNE FROM LEICESTER CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT ON 13-YEAR-OLD SCHOOLGIRL IN CHURCHYARD
In October 2018, a man named Jason Browne, aged 29 and residing on Rosedale Avenue in Leicester, was found guilty by a jury of sexually assaulting a young schoolgirl in a churchyard located within the town.The incident took place as the girl, who was only 13 years old at the time, was walking through the churchyard in her physical education (PE) kit, a routine part of her school day.
According to court proceedings, Browne approached the girl from behind while she was on a narrow footpath.
He then proceeded to touch her bottom over her shorts, an act that shocked and terrified the young victim.
The girl had initially offered to let Browne pass her on the footpath, which was a moment of casual interaction, but Browne’s actions turned the encounter into a distressing assault.
During the trial, Browne denied the allegations, claiming that the girl had fabricated the story.
He insisted that he was simply in the area to admire the architecture of the local church and to look at the graveyard, asserting that he had not been following or targeting the girl.
His defense argued that he had been on the footpath for innocent reasons and that the girl’s account was untrue.
Prosecutor Laura Pitman presented evidence indicating that the girl did not know Browne personally.
She recounted that she had seen him walking past her in the town centre after school, where she was chatting with a friend.
Around 4 pm, the girl decided to take a shortcut through the churchyard, a decision that would lead to her traumatic experience.
Miss Pitman explained to the jury, which consisted of five men and seven women, that the girl became aware of someone walking very close behind her, almost on her heels.
The girl testified that she had asked Browne why he didn’t walk in front of her, noting that he was walking faster than she was.
She described feeling frightened because she was alone in the churchyard at that moment.
The girl further stated that Browne refused to overtake her and reassured her with the words, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you, love.” Despite this, Browne suddenly grabbed her bottom, causing her to freeze in fear.
Following this, he made an inappropriate comment, saying, “You’re very sexy, aren’t you?” Horrified, the girl screamed, burst into tears, and ran away from the scene.
Browne then turned around and retraced his steps, leaving her distressed and shaken.
The victim managed to find a friend nearby, who comforted her after the incident.
The girl and her friend later told some boys they knew about what had happened, and these boys went off to look for Browne.
Her mother arrived shortly after and helped her search for the man.
They eventually located Browne, and the girl took photographs of him as he was seen running away from the scene.
These photographs were later handed over to the police as evidence.
Meanwhile, one of the boys, who was on a bus, noticed Browne, who matched the description of the attacker, boarding the bus and appearing to hide.
The boy informed the bus driver, who then stopped the vehicle and called the police.
Officers arrived promptly and arrested Browne.
Following a deliberation period of two hours and eighteen minutes, the jury unanimously convicted Jason Browne of the sexual assault.
The court was informed that Browne suffers from mental health issues, is on medication, and is under the care of a mental health nurse.
Judge Philip Head adjourned the case for further medical reports and indicated that he would consider a community disposal with a focus on rehabilitation.
At the time of sentencing, Browne was released on conditional bail and remains in custody awaiting the court’s decision.
The case highlights the importance of vigilance and swift law enforcement response in protecting vulnerable individuals from sexual predators in public spaces within Leicester.
