Locations
Dart Walk, Exeter, Devon, EX2
Description
A Devon man has been jailed for sexually assaulting and attempting to rape a woman.
Marc Minchington, 39, denied the offences but was found guilty at a trial in December.
He returned to Exeter Crown Court on Monday [March 14] to be sentenced to eight years in prison.
The court was told he suffered 'some kind of mental meltdown' at the time of the offence.
He still denies doing anything wrong or that he was experiencing a mental health episode at the time.
Recorder Don Tait said: "In December last year you were convicted by a jury of all these offences. Their decision in relation to each of the charges was unanimous. Because you contested the matter there is no such reduction I can make to your sentence.
"Even now you're in denial and have been for many years. I sat and listened to the evidence and recall it was quite clear that something happened at the time of these offences in your mind.
"You have been a hard-working man and have never really been in any trouble before. From the evidence you were significantly mentally unwell. You didn't accept that and you don't now.
"It is quite clear you were drinking far too much and that didn't help your mental health when you committed these offences."
Minchington, of Dart Walk, Exeter, will serve half of his sentence in jail and the rest on licence. He was told the sign the sex offender's register.