On 10 December 2024, at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd hospital in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, Lee James Mullen, a 38-year-old man from Church Street, Flint, carried out a brutal and unprovoked sexual attack on a victim in the hospital toilets. Mullen followed the victim into the facility, where he subjected them to a sustained assault involving sexual penetration and inflicted grievous bodily harm through violent punches and restraint. During the ordeal, Mullen placed his hand over the victim's mouth and explicitly threatened to kill them if they reported the incident, heightening the terror of the attack.
The victim, in a harrowing impact statement read out at Mold Crown Court, described the profound trauma endured: 'On the night of the attack, even when I lay on the floor trapped, having taken a deep breath and played dead, you still punched me twice and assaulted me by penetration… I believed I was going to die that night in the toilets of a hospital, a place that’s meant to be for health, love, safety and trust… My greatest wish is that you never, ever do this to anyone again putting them through the trauma of what I went through that night, and I continue to go through to this day. I promise you now, I will rise like a phoenix from the ashes.' This statement underscored the lasting psychological and physical impact on the victim and their family.
Mullen's criminal history includes a prior conviction in 2015, where he was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for gagging and raping a woman, demonstrating a pattern of violent sexual offending. Following the 2024 attack, Mullen fled the hospital, discarding his clothing to evade detection before entering a nearby coffee shop. North Wales Police swiftly located and detained him, preventing any further offences.
In early January 2025, Mullen admitted to the charges of sexual assault by penetration and inflicting grievous bodily harm at a court hearing. On 21 February 2025, at Mold Crown Court, he received a life sentence with a minimum term of 7 years. Additional measures imposed included an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, a Restraining Order, and lifelong placement on the Sex Offenders Register. Detective Constable Ashley Davies of North Wales Police described the attack as 'shocking and unprovoked', commending the rapid response that apprehended Mullen. Detective Chief Inspector Simon Kneale echoed this, welcoming the sentence while acknowledging the irreversible harm to the victim and praising the investigation team's tenacity. The incident also deeply affected hospital staff, as noted by Teresa Owen, Executive Director of Allied Health Professionals at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, who paid tribute to the victim's bravery and affirmed zero tolerance for violence on healthcare sites.
This case, reported by North Wales Police, highlights their commitment to swift justice in protecting communities from such abhorrent crimes.