LEWIS TRUEMAN SENTENCED IN WIRRAL FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT AND HOME INVASION
A man named Lewis Trueman forcibly entered a woman's home in Wirral and subjected her to a sexual assault before leaving amid laughter, a court has heard.Trueman, 33 years old, falsely claimed he was searching for someone when he knocked on his victim's kitchen door.
In reality, he hoped she would consent to sex and refused to accept her refusals.
Today, a judge described how Trueman tried to force his tongue into her mouth and to put his hand inside her underwear.
Liverpool Crown Court was told that on an evening when the woman, whose identity is protected for legal reasons, heard a knock at her back door, she saw it was Trueman.
She opened the door halfway and inquired about a mutual acquaintance.
Prosecutor Frank Dillon explained that Trueman then pushed the door open, forced his way inside, and tried to kiss her.
She pushed him away, but he persisted, trying again to kiss her and wrapping his hands around her waist.
She told him to leave.
Trueman responded, saying, "Your fella is cheating on you, so why can't you do it with me?" Mr.
Dillon recounted.
Trueman then attempted to kiss her again and tried to force his tongue into her mouth.
The court heard he turned her so that her back was against his front and tried to put one of his hands down her clothing, managing only to get his hand around her waistband before she pushed him away and shouted for him to leave, which he eventually did.
Before departing, he ominously told her he would return the next day and inform her partner that she had been with him.
After Trueman rode off on his bike, the woman informed a neighbor about the assault, leading to police being called.
She was left with soreness in her arms from her efforts to escape.
Trueman was subsequently arrested and, initially, claimed he had visited her to ask about someone, and that they shared a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
He denied any sexual activity until questioned about whether his DNA would be found on her clothing.
Later, he admitted that he had placed his hand down the front of her trousers, though not inside her underwear.
Mr.
Dillon noted that Trueman, who had consumed six cans of Stella before the incident, made derogatory remarks about the victim’s appearance.
Trueman, of Old Wood, Pensby, denied wrongdoing at first but eventually pleaded guilty to sexual assault after cross-examination via video.
The victim provided a statement saying she remembered telling Trueman to stop and felt terrified.
She used to feel happy in her home but now feels unsafe and afraid.
Mr.
Dillon conveyed that the assault led her to separate from her partner, who couldn’t cope with what happened, and she has since experienced panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, and financial problems due to moving house.
She said, "He's taken everything I had." The court learned she now suffers from various emotional difficulties and has been fundamentally affected by the incident.
Trueman has a lengthy criminal history, with 19 previous convictions for 49 offenses, mainly vehicle theft.
His past convictions include a 2012 conviction for producing cannabis.
Defender Simon Mintz highlighted Trueman's challenging upbringing, noting he was placed in care at age 12 and suffered from family issues.
The pre-sentence report described Trueman as having a disadvantaged start in life, which contributed to his lack of understanding regarding women’s rights and autonomy.
Mr.
Mintz stated, "He seems to have missed out on any enlightenment so far as the respect that’s due to women and their autonomy," and acknowledged his client’s responsibility but lack of insight into the harm caused.
The judge, Gary Woodhall, emphasized that Trueman’s actions, including pretending to seek someone and then forcibly entering her home to attempt to kiss her and touch her inappropriately, caused considerable and lasting damage.
The judge pointed out that Trueman left the scene laughing but not before threatening to deceive her partner about their supposed intimacy.
Addressing the victim’s feelings, the judge said she moved away because she couldn’t erase what had happened and that "what you did to her is with her all the time and you have ruined her life." The court highlighted that violating someone in such an intimate manner causes enduring harm.
The judge also noted Trueman’s initial denial, his disparaging remarks about the victim, and his final acknowledgment that he intended to have sex with her when he entered her property.
Trueman was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, required to register as a sex offender for life, and ordered to remain under a five-year restraining order.
