Newry man who sexually assaulted woman at work party jailed

Matthew Revels, 42, of Armagh Road, Newry, sexually assaulted the victim at a hotel in Peterborough on December 3, 2022.

Earlier in the evening Revels had preyed on the victim while she was on the dancefloor, sliding his knee between her legs before “grinding” her from behind.

She moved away from him, but later Revels managed to place the victim’s hand on his crotch while they were both at the bar with a group of people.

She immediately pulled her hand away and told him, “I know what you want and it’s not happening”.

After the bar closed, the group went back to a hotel room at about midnight for drinks.

The victim had a shot of Sambuca, but this resulted in her becoming unwell, so she went to the bathroom.

Revels claimed he was going to check on the victim, but while inside the bathroom, he carried out a sexual assault on her.

After the assault, the victim struggled to breathe as a result of a panic attack, and an ambulance was called.

The distraught victim told medics what had happened, and officers arrested Revels, who was asleep in his hotel room.

On Thursday (April 24) at Huntingdon Law Courts, Revels was sentenced to two years and six months in prison after previously pleading guilty to assault by penetration.

He was handed a 10-year restraining order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

DC Chris Enright, who investigated, said: “The victim was in a powerless state - alone in a place unfamiliar to her while being very unwell. She was in no state to consent to any sexual activity.

“And despite already being told earlier on in the evening that nothing was going to happen, Revels took it upon himself to take advantage of the victim and use sexual violence against her while she was at her most vulnerable.”

Survivors of sexual violence can have confidence the police and other partner agencies will support them throughout the investigation and criminal justice process.