July 2023

Convicted sex offender tried to hug and kiss woman in back of church

A convicted sex offender tried to hug and kiss a woman in front of her young daughter as they sat in the back of a church.

Stephen Denison, who has two previous convictions for sexual assault, including one where he left a teenage schoolgirl hyperventilating in shock by groping her at a city centre bus station, spotted the female and child at the church in Fenham, one day in May this year.

The 50-year-old pervert then sat next to the woman and hugged her before “forcibly pulling her” towards him and trying to kiss her, a court heard.

The terrified victim pushed the pervert away as concerned members of public, who had seen what was happening, intervened, prosecutors said. Denison, of Baxter Avenue, in Fenham, was arrested and charged with one count of sexual assault.

He failed to show for a subsequent hearing at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court and a warrant was issued for his arrest, however, he was finally detained last month, pleaded guilty to the offence and the case was adjourned to this week for sentence.

Gurjot Kaur, prosecuting, said the victim, who was unknown to Denison, and her young daughter were sat in the church one day in May this year when Denison approached them.

Miss Kaur continued: “The defendant initially hugged her. He kept trying to talk to her and offered her daughter a coin. The defendant then put his arm around her back and made an attempt to forcibly pull her towards him to try and kiss her. She pushed him away.”

In a statement, the victim said she’d been left suffering from heart palpitations and having to take anti-nausea pills. She also said she had been unable to return to the church since the incident.

The court heard that Denison had 46 offences on his record, including two for sexual assault from 2021 and 2016.

For the 2021 offence, which involved groping the teenage schoolgirl at Eldon Square bus station, he was jailed for 16 months and made to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years.

Magistrates jailed Denison for 20 weeks and told him he must also sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years

June 2021

Fenham pervert left schoolgirl hyperventilating during sexual assault in Eldon Square bus station

A schoolgirl was left so shocked she started hyperventilating when a drunk pervert groped her in a city centre bus station.

Stephen Denison targeted the teenager at at Eldon Square station in Newcastle city centre last summer and left her terrified.

The 48-year-old, who was “slurring his words and carrying a bottle of Frosty Jacks cider”, was already on the sex offenders register at the time for a similar attack on another teen in 2016.

Prosecutor Jolyon Perks told Newcastle Crown Court: “He sat next to her and stroked her thigh, twice.

“She edged away and turned her back.

“He stroked her arm. She moved away.

“He then touched her nose and stroked her face. She turned her head away.”

Mr Perks said after the attack came to an end when two men saw what was happening and stepped in to help the teen.

The victim said in a statement she was frightened by what happened and added: “I was scared to move in case he may do something else.

“I felt in shock and panic. I was hyperventilating.”

The teen added she felt she should avoid the city centre afterwards as she felt “very fearful” of Denison and added: “I am scared he may see me or hurt me.”

Denison, of Baxter Avenue, Fenham, Newcastle, admitted sexual assault and was sentenced to 16 months behind bars with a five year ban to keep him away from Eldon Square. He must also sign the sex offenders register for ten years.