STUART RAY FROM SUNDERLAND SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT IN NEWCASTLE AND HETTON
| Red Rose Database
Sunderland Sexual Abuser
In February 2006, a disturbing case unfolded involving Stuart Ray, a man from Sunderland, who was convicted of a heinous sexual assault on a young girl. The incident took place in the vicinity of Hetton, where Ray targeted two young girls in a secluded field. The victim, only 10 years old at the time, was drugged and lured into a remote woodland area, where Ray committed the assault. The court proceedings revealed that Ray approached the girls while they were playing in the field, and then proceeded to manipulate the situation to his advantage.
According to court reports, Ray first coerced one of the girls into inhaling from a cannabis joint until she became dizzy, effectively impairing her judgment. After this, he led the girls into an isolated wooded area nearby. While one girl was instructed to wait, Ray took the other into the woods, where he attempted to undress her by trying to undo her trousers. The girl, however, managed to escape from his grasp, pushing the joint into his face and running back to her grandmother’s house, where her mother was present.
The mother of the young girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, expressed her relief that Ray was now behind bars. She described the emotional toll the attack had taken on her family, stating, “I’m relieved this man is off the streets, but what he did changed our family’s life forever. I dare not let her out of my sight anymore. She keeps asking me, ‘Mum, when can I go out by myself,’ but I just don’t know any more.” She also recounted how her daughter, who had always been independent, became a different girl after the assault. To help her recover, the family took her on holiday two weeks later, during which she stayed close to her mother at all times.
During the court hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, prosecutor Alexia Zimbler detailed how Ray approached the girls in a field in Hetton. She explained that Ray ordered one of the girls to take a puff from a cannabis joint until she became dizzy, then took her into the woods. The other girl, now aged 11, was left to wait nearby. Ray’s actions culminated in him pushing the girl to the ground after she refused to remove her trousers. The girl’s mother added, “He was rolling a joint on her, and she saw an opportunity to escape by pushing it into his face and running through his legs. She ran straight back to her grandma’s house, where I was.”
Stunned by the severity of the incident, the girl’s mother called the police immediately. She expressed her pride in her daughter’s bravery, saying, “I can’t begin to say how proud I am of her, how brave she was to escape, and how happy I am that this man is now starting a long sentence behind bars.”
Stuart Ray admitted to a charge of sexual assault on a child. Judge Esmond Faulks sentenced him to an indefinite term, with a minimum of 18 months before his case could be reviewed again. The court’s decision reflects the seriousness of the crime and the danger Ray poses to the community.
Meanwhile, the mother of the other girl, also from Hetton, shared her mixed feelings about the case. She said, “My daughter has not managed well since all this happened. Here was a girl who was just starting to get a sense of independence in her life, but now she will not cross the road by herself, walk to the bus by herself. This man forced her to listen to what happened. She tried her best to prevent it, waving down cars to stop and help. I feel so proud of how well she’s coped with it all, but it’s only now she’s starting to get things back together.”
Following the case, Detective Sergeant Chris Sybenga, who led the investigation, welcomed the sentence. He stated, “The judge described this man as a dangerous offender. This was a substantial sexual crime committed by a substantial sexual offender, and he has now received a substantial custodial sentence.” The case underscores the importance of justice in protecting vulnerable victims and removing dangerous individuals from society.
According to court reports, Ray first coerced one of the girls into inhaling from a cannabis joint until she became dizzy, effectively impairing her judgment. After this, he led the girls into an isolated wooded area nearby. While one girl was instructed to wait, Ray took the other into the woods, where he attempted to undress her by trying to undo her trousers. The girl, however, managed to escape from his grasp, pushing the joint into his face and running back to her grandmother’s house, where her mother was present.
The mother of the young girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, expressed her relief that Ray was now behind bars. She described the emotional toll the attack had taken on her family, stating, “I’m relieved this man is off the streets, but what he did changed our family’s life forever. I dare not let her out of my sight anymore. She keeps asking me, ‘Mum, when can I go out by myself,’ but I just don’t know any more.” She also recounted how her daughter, who had always been independent, became a different girl after the assault. To help her recover, the family took her on holiday two weeks later, during which she stayed close to her mother at all times.
During the court hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, prosecutor Alexia Zimbler detailed how Ray approached the girls in a field in Hetton. She explained that Ray ordered one of the girls to take a puff from a cannabis joint until she became dizzy, then took her into the woods. The other girl, now aged 11, was left to wait nearby. Ray’s actions culminated in him pushing the girl to the ground after she refused to remove her trousers. The girl’s mother added, “He was rolling a joint on her, and she saw an opportunity to escape by pushing it into his face and running through his legs. She ran straight back to her grandma’s house, where I was.”
Stunned by the severity of the incident, the girl’s mother called the police immediately. She expressed her pride in her daughter’s bravery, saying, “I can’t begin to say how proud I am of her, how brave she was to escape, and how happy I am that this man is now starting a long sentence behind bars.”
Stuart Ray admitted to a charge of sexual assault on a child. Judge Esmond Faulks sentenced him to an indefinite term, with a minimum of 18 months before his case could be reviewed again. The court’s decision reflects the seriousness of the crime and the danger Ray poses to the community.
Meanwhile, the mother of the other girl, also from Hetton, shared her mixed feelings about the case. She said, “My daughter has not managed well since all this happened. Here was a girl who was just starting to get a sense of independence in her life, but now she will not cross the road by herself, walk to the bus by herself. This man forced her to listen to what happened. She tried her best to prevent it, waving down cars to stop and help. I feel so proud of how well she’s coped with it all, but it’s only now she’s starting to get things back together.”
Following the case, Detective Sergeant Chris Sybenga, who led the investigation, welcomed the sentence. He stated, “The judge described this man as a dangerous offender. This was a substantial sexual crime committed by a substantial sexual offender, and he has now received a substantial custodial sentence.” The case underscores the importance of justice in protecting vulnerable victims and removing dangerous individuals from society.