WITHAM MAN GETS SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT

A 51-year-old man from Witham has been sentenced after committing a sexual assault on a woman. Warren McLean, residing on Blott Rise, received a two-year suspended prison sentence for one count of sexual assault that occurred in the Braintree district in September 2019. The victim, a woman in her twenties, described how the incident affected her, stating it left her blaming herself for the assault. She expressed her gratitude to Essex Police for their support in her pursuit of justice and detailed how the assault left her feeling shocked and emotionally distressed. The victim recounted that she made her boundaries clear and explicitly said she did not want to be touched, but McLean disregarded her wishes. His behavior became increasingly sexualized verbally and physically until he assaulted her. She was so shocked she burst into tears but was determined to seek justice, reading her victim impact statement in court which she felt represented other women as well. Essex Police's public protection team charged McLean after their investigation. Although he initially denied the charge, a jury found him guilty by majority verdict at Chelmsford Crown Court on August 16. McLean had claimed he never had unwanted or inappropriate sexual contact but answered 'no comment' to all questions during police questioning. The victim said that she was alone with McLean on the day of the incident and fled the scene in tears. On November 1, the court sentenced him to a two-year prison term, suspended for two years; he was also ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years, comply with a five-year restraining order, complete 240 hours of unpaid work, attend a sex offending program, and undertake 20 days of rehabilitation activities. Detective Sergeant Carla Hillyer praised the victim's bravery, emphasizing that despite McLean's denials, he was found guilty and rightly punished. She urged others to come forward and assured that assaults like this would be thoroughly investigated.