ROBERT SARGEANT FROM LEAMINGTON SPA JAILED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT ON TEENAGER IN WARWICK

In a case that has shocked the local community, Robert Sargeant, a 41-year-old resident of Charles Gardner Road in Leamington Spa, was sentenced to three years in prison following his conviction for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in Warwick. The incident, which took place in May, involved Sargeant forcibly taking the young girl into his flat and subjecting her to a distressing assault that lasted several minutes.

According to court proceedings, Sargeant admitted to sexually assaulting the teenager but denied the more serious charge of attempted rape. The hearing at Warwick Crown Court on July 19 revealed that he was cleared of the attempted rape allegation, but the court imposed a lifelong requirement for him to remain on the sex offenders register. Additionally, Sargeant was prohibited from ever working with children, reflecting the severity of his actions.

Prosecutor Anthony Johnston provided details of the case, explaining that the girl, whose identity is protected for legal reasons, had initially met Sargeant through a mutual friend in early 2006. She had visited his flat on two separate occasions prior to the incident. On the day of the assault, she arrived alone at Sargeant’s residence, where he was hosting other visitors. Initially hesitant to let her in because he believed she had a boyfriend, Sargeant eventually relented after she denied having one and made her a sandwich.

However, the situation escalated when they were alone. Sargeant began to make unwanted advances despite the girl’s protests. Ignoring her pleas, he forcibly picked her up and carried her into his bedroom. The girl attempted to hold onto the doorframe in a desperate effort to resist, but Sargeant pulled her into the room and placed her on the bed. Despite her crying and protests, he continued his assault for several minutes before eventually stopping.

Following the incident, Sargeant accompanied the girl to Leamington station and remained on the train until she disembarked at Warwick. The girl later confided in a friend, who then contacted the police and reported the assault. The court heard that Sargeant had a history of convictions related to violence, dishonesty, and drug offences. Notably, he pleaded guilty to the charges only days before his trial was scheduled to commence.

During mitigation, lawyer Peter Freeman stated that the assault lasted approximately five minutes and emphasized that Sargeant had not committed any serious offences since 1997, with no prior sexual offence record. Despite this, Judge James Pyke emphasized the gravity of the crime, remarking, “You pleaded guilty late in the day to sexual offences where your victim was a 15-year-old girl. Throughout what happened, you ignored her protests and her distress,” underscoring the seriousness of Sargeant’s actions and the impact on the victim.