A SEX ATTACKER WHO CAUSED FEAR IN A COMMUNITY WHEN HE TARGETED THREE TERRIFIED YOUNG GIRLS
October 2021 - Paul Drewery, a 46-year-old man, was accused of inappropriately touching a girl while she was shopping for clothes with her mother.Later, he approached another girl walking near a park, touching her while he was 'quietly laughing,' causing her to become 'hysterical.' On the same day, Drewery followed a third girl through the streets after attempting to grab her from behind.
Concerned parents circulated social media warnings after the incidents, leading to Drewery's arrest at his residence, where he was found to be 'clearly very drunk' amid a gathering of onlookers.
At Newcastle Crown Court, Drewery, of Arran Drive in Jarrow, admitted to two counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted sexual assault.
He was sentenced to a year in prison.
He is also required to register as a sex offender and adhere to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.
Judge Robert Spragg described the incidents as 'very frightening and upsetting' for the victims and those accompanying them.
Prosecutor Paul Reid detailed that the first victim was targeted while browsing clothes inside a South Tyneside store.
After groping her, Drewery asked if she liked that, claiming he was referring to an item of clothing.
Security footage captured him in the act, and he was identified through a payment card used to buy a bottle of vodka in the store.
The girl, in her impact statement, said she now questions her clothing choices and felt 'powerless and worthless' after the assault.
She described feeling frightened, experiencing nightmares, and feeling sad more often.
Later in the day, Drewery approached another girl walking toward the park.
She told her friends to run after the incident.
Witnesses saw Drewery stumbling and laughing quietly while touching her, and she returned home hysterical.
In her statement, she expressed anxiety about the possibility of encountering him again and shared that thinking about the event makes her feel physically upset.
The third girl was contacted by her mother by phone during the evening.
She called for help, screaming she was being followed and was being asked to go with Drewery, who was described as 'pretty.' Her mother advised her to hide in a nearby pub while she called the police.
The girl said she feels scared when she sees men resembling Drewery and fears he might be released from prison and attempt to contact her again.
Drewery's lawyer, Fiona Lamb, stated that he was 'extremely intoxicated' during the incidents and would lose his home of 20 years because of his actions.
She added that he had little memory of what occurred and believed he was unaware of his actions at the time, describing the day as 'stupid.' During the hearing, Drewery read a letter expressing remorse for the victims and their families.
He apologized, stating, 'I know I will never forgive myself for what happened, but I will never let this happen again.
I am so sorry.' January 2023 - A recently released Washington based convicted sex offender has avoided being returned to prison after indecent images were found on his phone.
Paul Drewery, 47, of Albany, Washington, was previously jailed for 12 months after groping two teenage girls in South Tyneside and attempted a third, who was 11 years old.
However, when he was jailed, authorities had failed to inspect his phone.
A recent inspection later uncovered 95 indecent images of children, aged 8-14.
Drewery pleaded guilty to possession of the images in court Judge Robert Spragg sentenced him to a community order for 18 months with rehabilitation requirements, ten years sex offender registration and a sexualharm prevention order for ten years.
The judge said since Drewery’s release from prison he has found settled accommodation, complied with the authorities and kept out of trouble.
Judge Spragg told him: “Given your current circumstances and steps you have taken you are now in a position to address your issues.” The court heard Drewery has health issues which have required medical intervention and surgery.
Drewery was given the original jail term for two charges of indecent assault and one of attempted indecent assault, which all happened on the same day in June 2021.
The first victim was targeted as she browsed clothing at Asda in Boldon, After groping the girl, Drewery asked “do you like that?” then claimed hehad been talking about an item of clothing she was looking at.
He was caught on security camera and traced by a card he had used to pay for a bottle of vodka while in the shop.
Later that day Drewery had grabbed at a girl in Jarrow, as she walked towards a park with her friends.
Drewery had been “stumbling around” during that attack and was seen “quietly laughing as he touched her”.
The final victim was approached while she was playing out at a park in Jarrow with friends in the early evening, when Drewery followed her and tried to grab her breasts from behind.
The court heard Drewery had “very little recollection” of what he had done that day and read a letter of apology at his original sentence hearing Credit 2023 Article - Sunderland Global Media.
