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PE teacher jailed after creeping into stranger's house and sexually assaulting her while she slept by her boyfriend
Last updated at 12:05 PM on 1st November 2010
Jailed: PE teacher Richard Duffy, a married father-of-one, found his way into the woman's bedroom then began 'smothering' her neck and cheek with kisses as she slept next to her boyfriend
A teacher was jailed for six years today after creeping into a stranger's house to assault her as she slept. Richard Duffy, 32, was stumbling home drunk at 5am when he found the victim's front door was unlocked and sneaked inside. The PE teacher, a married father-of-one, found the woman's bedroom then began 'smothering' her neck and cheek with kisses as she slept next to her boyfriend.
The 32-year old victim - who did not even know Duffy - stirred and initially believed it was her lover kissing her. She only realised she was being attacked when he spoke. Her attacker then calmly left the bedroom and was able to escape, despite being pursued by his victim's partner. Police were able to trace Duffy through the DNA left behind when he kissed her face as he was already on the police database for an assault conviction in 1998 when he was 20.
He was arrested in front of colleagues at Primet High School, in Colnes, Lancashire, shortly after he left a PE class. Duffy admitted sexual assualt, was jailed for six years and ordered to serve the Sex Offenders Register for life. Judge Anthony Hammond said: 'Your career is wrecked, your good name is lost and you will spend a lot of time living this down'. The court heard Duffy - a former footballer for non-league Accrington Stanley - carried out the offence on JuIy 4 after drinking with friends.
The woman had also been drinking at a charity event near Preston. When she got home it is believed she had forgotten to lock her door before going to bed with her boyfriend. Duffy was staggering home when he noticed the door was unlocked and went inside the house. When he began speaking she realised from his accent that it was not her partner and she woke up screaming. Francis McEntee, prosecuting, said the woman was able to give police a description of clothing which was later found at Duffy's home address.
Mr McEntee told the court that Duffy was a stranger to the victim and she wanted to know why this had happened. She was said to have been 'affected badly' by the attack. In mitigation defence counsel Ian Whitehurst said: 'This offence beggars belief. The defendant only has a partial recollection of events because of his drunken state at the time. 'His career to which he was devoted and had some talent in that field is now destroyed.'
Duffy, who is separated from his wife, sent the judge a long letter setting out his 'remorse and consciousness' of what he had done. Detective Inspector Paul Rudd, of Lancashire Police said: 'This was a particularly nasty offence against a woman who felt she should have been safe in her own home. 'Duffy gave no comment to police during his interview and has still not explained his actions on the night in question.
'But I can only hope that this sentence will bring some comfort to the victim in this case and allow her to begin to move forward. 'This was an unusual offence against a woman in her own home and these types of offences are extremely rare and are vigorously investigated by Lancashire police.' 'It is clear that Duffy poses a risk to women and I am pleased that he has been removed from the streets and will now be spending time behind bars.'
