Man jailed for sexual assault of a child

A man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for the non-recent sexual assault of a child.

Martin Connelly, 45, of Unity Street, Bristol, was jailed by Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday 5 August after he was found guilty of assault by touching following a trial at the same court in June.

He was sentenced to a custodial sentence of three years and four months, and he will be the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for the rest of his life.

The charge relates to an offence where he assaulted his victim under clothing.

The victim read a statement outlining the impact the offending had on her in court, which said: “There are songs I can no longer listen to, films I cannot watch, and people I struggle to look at because they remind me of you. You have shrunk parts of my world, but you have not brought me down to your level.

“While this has been one of the worst experiences of my life, it has also taught me grace. It has shown me that you truly never know what someone else is carrying. A younger me would’ve never imagined I could say that I stood up and defended myself.

“You have had years to show genuine remorse and to admit responsibility, yet you continue to hide behind excuses and self-delusion. I genuinely believe you have convinced yourself that you are something other than what you are.”

DC Kimberley O’Leary, from our specialist child protection team, said: “The complainant did not choose for this to happen, but has shown incredible strength and courage to support this investigation, in part to prevent this trauma from being experienced again.

“I thank them for the bravery and resilience they have shown throughout this process, and I hope this will empower other victims of sexual assaults to come forward, because they will be believed and supported.”