Woman jailed for sex assault on fellow Manchester City football fan

A Manchester City fan has been sentenced for groping a man as they watched their team play Everton.

Jemma Whiteside, 40, had never met the man she attacked at Everton's ground Goodison Park in February 2022.

South Sefton Magistrates Court on Merseyside heard she then made a sexually charged comment to him.

Whiteside was arrested and charged with sexual assault but denied it. She was found guilty following a trial in November 2022.

She was handed a nine-month community order alongside 15 days of a rehabilitation, a £200 fine.

She must also pay £400 compensation to the victim.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Mike O’Kane of CPS Mersey Cheshire, said: “This man was subjected to an unprovoked and entirely unexpected sexual assault by Ms Whiteside. 

“The incident caused both upset and embarrassment to the victim. He further noted in his victim personal statement which was read at the sentencing hearing that ‘it should not matter whether the assault was by a man or a woman, it should be treated the same’. 

“The Crown Prosecution Service would echo that. Men do fall victim to sexual assaults and are entitled to protection under the law. 

“The CPS works hard to fairly apply the law, irrespective of the gender of the suspect/victim, and to ensure that offending such as this is robustly prosecuted. 

“The victim in this matter was forced to attend trial and give evidence as Ms Whiteside refused to accept her culpability. “