Female Man City fan who groped man spared jail despite victim's plea to treat her same as male

A female football fan who groped a rival supporter has been spared jail despite the victim calling for the incident to be taken as seriously as an assault by a man.

Mother-of-six Jemma Whiteside, 40, grabbed the man's genitals and rubbed her bottom against his shoulder at an Everton v Manchester City Premier League game. 

She was said to have been heard saying: "I am going to f--- him later, and I don't even know his name."

The Everton-supporting victim reported the incident to police saying he was "shocked and upset" at being fondled. 

In a statement he said: "It should not matter whether the assault was by a man or a woman, it should be treated the same", and the sentence has been branded a "double standard" by a charity.

When Manchester City fan Whiteside, of Worsley, Greater Manchester was asked about the incident she said: "No offence to Liverpool but a Scouse man is not something that I would want or need."

Whiteside, whose son is in the final year of a scholarship at a Premier League club and whose daughter is undertaking trials at Liverpool FC, faced up up to ten years jail after she was convicted of sexual assault after a trial.

Sentences range from community orders to 10 years imprisonment for the offence.

But she was handed a nine-month community order at Sefton Magistrates' Court,  after a judge said people "in drink people can and often do things which are very out of character".

'Sentence shows double standards men face'

Mark Brooks, chair of the ManKind Initiative charity for male victims of domestic abuse said: "This poor sentence shows the double standards that men face because society and some judges do not view the men as being equals to women when it comes to these types of crimes. 

"If the sexes were reversed, we would rightly expect a man to serve some form of prison sentence, so the outcome here should have been the same."

The incident occurred on Feb 26 this year when Whiteside was at Goodison Park to see City beat Everton 1-0.

District Judge James Clarke said: "In drink people can and often do things which are very out of character. I am sure the lady had been drinking during the course of the afternoon. She was a lady in high spirits who was hurried by her friends and taking last sips of alcohol in the process.

"The defendant was a joker, and this is a prank that has gone very badly wrong whilst committed in drink and perhaps showing off to friends on the occasion."

After the case, Senior Crown Prosecutor Mike O'Kane, of CPS Mersey Cheshire, said: "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."

When pressed on whether Whiteside said she liked Scouse men, she said. "As a staunch city fan that is not something I can see myself saying."

"I wouldn't even do this sort of thing to my boyfriend in public. Ask any Man City fan and they will wholeheartedly agree. That is not something I would do. He has taken offence at me, he does not like me. I am a respectable mother and a respectable City fan. I would not behave in a way that would make me be less able to see Man City."

In addition to the community order, Whiteside must also carry out 15 days of a rehabilitation activity. 

She was further fined £200 fine with £295 costs and was ordered to pay the victim £400 in compensation.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbHLnp6rmaCde6S7ja6iaKaVrMBwfo9raWhpYmR%2FcXvFnqSapJViuqK6jJygrbFdm66vedahpmafoqS9prCMppinZaOlrrOxw2ahmqGcYrGmv8%2Biq55lpp6wtbXMrGY%3D