In 2022, Christopher Bowery, a registered sex offender from Fenham, sexually assaulted a woman with a brain disability on a bus and was subsequently incarcerated.
Christopher Bowery seated himself next to the evidently susceptible victim on the upper deck of a bus and compelled her to perform sexual actions on him in plain view. A court was informed that the victim, in her 60s, possesses considerable impairments and was characterised as “child-like”; she also conveyed to Bowery that she has a “damaged brain.”
In November 2019, at approximately 1:30 PM, the woman was aboard a bus. Upon boarding the bus, Bowery initially proceeded to the rear but relocated to a position adjacent to the victim near the front. The upstairs area was unoccupied by anyone else.
What happened next was captured on CCTV, which shows him engaging the woman in conversation. Lee Fish, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: “She told him she had, to use her words, a damaged brain. She said she felt sorry for the defendant and even gave him some money.
“The defendant, Christopher Bowery, moved closer to her and started to hold her hand, then put his hand on her groin. He then started to kiss her.” He then got her to carry out sex acts.
Mr Fish said: “The prosecution says her inability to communicate and impaired social functioning resulted in her being unable to remove herself from this situation.”
The bus driver saw what was happening and told them to get off separately. The woman apologised to the driver: “I don’t know him, I think he’s trying to change me.”
Her son described it as a “despicable offence” and added: “I can’t believe she was subjected to this. I can’t imagine the type of person who would be capable of doing this to a lone, vulnerable, brain-damaged woman in daylight on a public bus.
“I’m devastated about it; it makes me physically sick. After she told me what happened, I was uncontrollably shaking and overcome with emotion for hours. I despise him for taking the last of my mother’s dignity from her. This has had a huge and lasting impact on our family.”
Christopher Bowery, 36, of Linden Avenue, Fenham, Newcastle, with 69 prior convictions, including exposure in 2007, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual conduct with an individual possessing a mental illness that impedes choice and was sentenced to seven years and seven months in prison. Christopher Bowery is required to register as a sex offender for life.
Judge Robert Adams stated: “She ought to have felt secure and been safe while using public transport in broad daylight, with security cameras present, yet she was not.” You acknowledge that she was incapable of rejecting your actions due to her mental illness.
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the people highlighted on this website, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report to Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.