GATESHEAD SOLICITOR SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT IN FESTIVE GESTURE CASE
A solicitor who sexually assaulted a woman by putting his hand up her Christmas jumper and groping her breast has been branded as "arrogant" by his victim.Timothy Luchhurst-Matthews was previously considered an "upstanding member of the community" but ruined his reputation through his inexcusable actions during the alleged assault.
The incident occurred when the woman was wearing a festive garment, and after she made a comment to him about her "Jingle my Bells" jumper, he approached her and decided to put his hand under her jumper and bra, squeezing her breast to the point of pain.
The woman described her shock and said she was in "despair" after the attack, which she called his "five seconds of sexual gratification".
A witness also saw the assault happen.
Police were contacted immediately, leading to Luckhurst-Matthews' arrest.
Despite denying the sexual assault, he was convicted by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court following a trial.
In his victim impact statement, she recounted feeling "despair" and accused him of abusing his knowledge as a solicitor to manipulate the situation.
She also expressed how the ordeal severely affected her mental health, leading to sleep struggles, nightmares, and feelings of being a burden to her family.
She emphasized the shame she carried and how her life had been scarred by the incident.
The court proceedings revealed that Luckhurst-Matthews, who is a devout Christian, attempted to deny and justify his actions, claiming the jumper did not invite any assault.
The judge described his behavior as "shocking" and inexcusable, adding that her pain would likely stay with her for a long time.
As part of his sentence, he received a 10-month suspended prison term for two years, was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years, and pay £1,200 in prosecution costs.
The judge noted that he had lost his good name as a community solicitor.
Luckhurst-Matthews represented himself at sentencing, claiming he was angry about the conviction and contemplating an appeal, questioning whether he would get any money back if successful.
The victim made it clear that his arrogance and refusal to accept responsibility added to her suffering, stating: "He has used his knowledge on the law to try to manipulate everything he could...
How a Christmas jumper could possibly be interpreted as an invitation for such a violation is beyond comprehension." The judge concluded that the inexcusable act had inflicted lasting damage on her, praising her bravery for coming forward, and condemned his actions as inexcusable with lasting consequences.
