SHAUN ALEX JELLIS FROM BEDWORTH SENTENCED INCREASED AFTER CHILD SEX OFFENCE CASE

Shaun Alex Jellis, a 21-year-old resident of Bedworth, found himself at the center of a serious legal case following his conviction for child sex offences. The incident, which took place in Bedworth, led to Jellis being sentenced to three years in prison at Warwick Crown Court in June. He had pleaded guilty to charges of assault by penetration, a crime that caused significant distress to his teenage victim.

Jellis’s case drew considerable attention due to his claims of suffering from a rare sleep disorder known as “sexsomnia,” which he argued was responsible for his actions during the assault. According to court reports, Jellis told police that he was experiencing abnormal behaviors while asleep, which he believed contributed to his inappropriate conduct. He described the condition as linked to hormonal imbalances, which allegedly caused him to become sexually active during sleep. Jellis also stated that he had sought medical advice regarding his condition, indicating some level of awareness and concern about his health.

Despite his initial assertions that he was asleep during the attack, Jellis later admitted that he was conscious throughout the incident. The court heard that he had fondled the victim’s stomach and upper body and repeatedly groped her, despite her crying and trying to push him away. The teenage girl was attempting to sleep when the assault occurred, and her distress was evident. The impact of the crime on her and her family was described as devastating, highlighting the serious nature of the offence.

In the courtroom, Jellis was recognized as a young man with no previous criminal record and who had shown genuine remorse for his actions. However, the case attracted the attention of the Attorney General’s office, with Jeremy Wright QC’s legal team criticizing the three-year sentence as being too lenient given the severity of the offence. The appeal court, comprising Lord Justice Lloyd Jones, Mr Justice Knowles, and Mrs Justice Thirlwall, reviewed the case and agreed that the original punishment was unduly lenient.

During the hearing, Lord Justice Lloyd Jones emphasized that the sentence should be increased to reflect the gravity of the crime. Consequently, the court decided to add an additional year to Jellis’s prison term, making it a total of four years. This decision underscored the judiciary’s stance on the importance of proportionate sentencing in cases involving sexual offences against minors, especially when the victim’s suffering is profound and the offender’s claims of medical conditions do not fully mitigate the seriousness of the crime.