An Ashington Sex Offender, Devon Critchlow, has been jailed for sexual assault in Northumberland – after being identified as a result of a Northumbria Police appeal.
On September 24 of the previous year, shortly before midnight, Devon Critchlow, 21, unlawfully entered a stranger’s residence in Ashington after the woman, mistaking him for someone else, opened the door.
Devon Critchlow restrained the woman, struck her in the face, and thereafter sexually attacked her, also constricting her neck with his hands.
Following the woman’s resistance against Critchlow, he subsequently rose, exited the premises, and closed the door behind him.
The victim informed the police of the occurrence, who promptly arrived at the location and initiated an investigation.
An individual was promptly recognised on CCTV as he followed the victim home, prompting Northumbria Police to solicit public assistance in identifying the man.
Within hours, other members of the public recognised Devon Critchlow as the culprit, leading to his arrest and further interrogation over the report.
As part of the investigation, officers seized a black jacket matching the CCTV images of Devon Critchlow from the time the offences took place and were also able to match fingerprints from the scene with that of Critchlow.
The day after his arrest, Devon Critchlow, of Rochester Close, Ashington, was charged with a string of offences.
In January, he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to four offences of assault, non-fatal strangulation, sexual assault, and committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence.
And today (Wednesday), he was back at the same court where he was sentenced to five years and three months’ imprisonment with a further five years on licence once he is released.
Devon Critchlow will also spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders’ Register and was handed a restraining order to protect the victim.
The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Sergeant Steven Gibson, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was a truly shocking and awful incident for the victim who appeared to be targeted for the sole reason that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“I want to stress just how rare these types of incidents are in our region – and when reports such as these come in, we work quickly and doggedly to identify offenders as we did in this case.
“We won’t tolerate the type of predatory behaviour exhibited by Devon Critchlow that night – and I’m glad to see he’s now behind bars.”
Det Sgt Gibson added: “I’d like to thank the victim for being so brave and strong throughout this process. It’s thanks to her courage and support for our investigation that Critchlow is now in prison and unable to hurt anyone else. She should be extremely proud of herself.
“And a massive thanks to members of the public who responded to our appeal at the time and helped us to identify – and then subsequently arrest and charge – Critchlow.
“We know this type of offending causes significant concern through our communities, and this is proof of what we can achieve when we work together.”
Anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse of any form can contact police by sending a direct message on social media, or by using the ‘Report’ forms or live chat function on the Northumbria Police website.
For those unable to contact police in this way, please call 101.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, 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 at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.