Bexhill sex attack

A Bexhill couple who sexually attacked a 17-year-old girl at their home in the town have walked free from court.

Belinda Holmes (right), 34, indecently exposed the teenager before placing her arm around her waist and pushing her onto a bed.

Lewes Crown Court heard how she laid down next to her "frightened" victim and began kissing her on her face, neck and breasts.

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Husband Kevin (left), 40, joined in by kissing her "inappropriately" and trying to place his tongue in her mouth.

The girl escaped to the toilet and locked herself in before fleeing the house and calling the police.

Prosecutor Isobel Ascherson told the court the attack happened on July 14 last year at the couple's home in Hastings Road.

She said: "The victim was asking why they were doing it, to which Belinda replied, 'Having fun'.

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"She was repeatedly asked by the complainant to stop but Belinda undid her trousers and put her hands down her trousers.

"Belinda said, 'You like it, you know you like it'. The victim said she needed to go to the toilet and escaped to the bathroom where she locked herself in.

"After about 10 minutes she escaped from the house and ran out into the street. The police were called and collected her."

In interview Mrs Holmes told the court she was very drunk and could not remember much of what happened except that the victim had gone missing.

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Mr Holmes denied the allegations but said he remembered the girl disappearing at some stage. The Holmes, of Laurel Bank, later pleaded guilty to sexual assault.

Judge Austin Issard-Davies gave the couple a nine-month jail sentence suspended for a year and ordered them to pay a total of 500 compensation to the victim.

He told them: "You sexually assaulted her, so frightening her that she locked herself in the lavatory.

"She was driven to make numerous panic-stricken phone calls and eventually fled the building.

"This was a joint assault and the capacity of the victim to resist what was happening was obviously reduced by the fact there were two of you engaged in this activity."

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