Jade Berry's Sexual Assault on a Minor: A Drunken Incident in Cheshire
On the evening of 3 October 2022, Jade Berry, a 27-year-old dental receptionist from Little Sutton near Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, committed a shocking sexual assault on a 13-year-old schoolboy in Rivacre Valley Country Park. After a binge on white wine with friends, Berry, clearly intoxicated and staggering, approached the boy and his friend who were sitting on a woodland bench discussing the boy's upcoming 14th birthday. Unbeknownst to the boys, Berry would turn a casual encounter into a traumatic ordeal.
According to court proceedings at Chester Crown Court, Berry inserted herself between the two boys on the bench and began inappropriately touching the 13-year-old victim. She stroked and rubbed his genitals and upper thigh over his clothing while making highly sexualised comments, explicitly stating she wanted to 'ride you till morning'. The boys, aware of the victim's young age, were horrified by her actions. As they attempted to leave, Berry pulled down her trousers, exposing her genitals and buttocks, before collapsing in a drunken stupor on the bench. The shocked boys recorded videos of the scene on their phones before fleeing and alerting the victim's mother, who contacted the police.
- Berry left her bank card and phone on the bench, which police recovered upon arrival.
- She was arrested two days later on 5 October 2022.
- During police interview, Berry claimed, 'Oh My God, I do not recall anything', responding 'No comment' to all questions.
- The victim identified her in an identity parade.
The impact on the victim, who has ADHD, was devastating. In a victim impact statement read in court, he described feeling low, suffering night terrors and nightmares, and attempting to take his own life following the assault. He now takes medication, avoids the park, and has lost confidence despite receiving counselling from two sources. Prosecuting barrister James Coutts highlighted aggravating factors including Berry's intoxication and the victim's vulnerability due to his age and condition.
Berry, who had a prior conviction for drink driving in 2021, pleaded guilty to sexual assault. Her defence, led by John Wyn Williams, attributed her actions to long-standing mental health issues including anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and borderline personality disorder, exacerbated by parental separation and the Covid-19 pandemic. Williams noted her 'self-destructive nature' and reliance on alcohol, but emphasised genuine remorse and her decision to spare the boy from testifying by pleading guilty. A psychiatrist's report supported these claims, suggesting alcohol intoxication directly contributed to the offence.
Sentencing on 4 October 2023, Judge Eric Lamb acknowledged the seriousness of the crime—a sexual assault on a young person by an adult—but considered strong mitigation from Berry's remorse and mental health struggles. He noted the low risk of reoffending and suspended the sentence, stating, 'You have no recollection of what you did as a result of the amount of alcohol that you had taken but the commission of an offence, when drinking, is an aggravating feature.' The judge described the consequences as 'awful' for the victim and his family.
This case, reported by the Daily Mail and based on court records from Chester Crown Court, underscores the severe repercussions of alcohol misuse and the profound trauma inflicted on vulnerable minors. Berry's actions, though stemming from personal turmoil, have left lasting scars.