Manchester City fan, 40, who sexually assaulted a male Everton supporter is spared jail

A female Manchester City fan who got drunk and groped a male Everton fan during a Premiership football clash has been spared jail despite him urging a court to treat women sex attackers the same as men.

Jemma Whiteside, 40, assaulted the man shortly before kick-off in February and proclaimed: ‘I am going to f*** him later, and I don’t even know his name.’

The mother-of-six denied the allegations and claimed she ‘wouldn’t even do this sort of thing to my boyfriend in public.’ She also told investigators: ‘No offence to Liverpool but a Scouse man is not something that I would want or need.’

Whitehouse was convicted of sexual assault last month and faced jail over the offence. Last week, she was sentenced to a nine-month community order, 15 days of a rehabilitation activity and ordered to pay a fine, costs and compensation to the victim.

Manchester City fan Jemma Whiteside, 40, (pictured) has escaped jail after she was convicted of groping an Everton fan during a Premiership clash

Whiteside (pictured) grabbed the man’s genitals and twerked against his shoulder shortly before kick-off in February – saying: ‘I am going to f*** him later, I don’t even know his name’

The incident occurred on February 26 when Whiteside, of Worsley, Greater Manchester, was at Goodison Park to see City beat Everton 1-0.

The victim, who is in his 40s, reported the incident to police saying he was ‘shocked’ at having an ‘intimate area’ of his body fondled.

PC Mark McGinty who arrested Whiteside in the stands told the court she was ‘very drunk,’ as evidenced by her behaviours at the match.

‘She was moving her arms about erratically, leaning over the barrier and trying to grab at people below, shouting at them and shouting towards the pitch,’ Mr McGinty explained.

‘Her speech was very slurred, she was unsteady on her feet and her eyes were glazed. I was under the impression that she was very drunk.’

The court heard the officer had recorded in his statement that Whiteside had been heard saying that she ‘liked Scouse men’.

Later, when Whiteside was asked about the incident, she retorted: ‘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.’

Whitehouse told the hearing: ‘If I was walking past I may have brushed past him. It was a football match, it was a crowded place, it is easy to happen, to brush past someone.’

She also continued to deny saying she was going to ‘f*** him later’ and added. 

‘I have never said anything like that in my life. I am a mother of six children. When I am not looking after my children, football is the only thing I do.’

The victim – who was ‘shocked and upset’ at being fondled – had argued in a statement: ‘It should not matter whether the assault was by a man or a woman, it should be treated the same.’ 

Whiteside, (pictured) whose son is in the final year of a scholarship at a Premiership club and whose daughter is undertaking trials at Liverpool FC, faced jail after she was convicted of sexual assault last month 

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Whiteside, whose son is in the final year of a scholarship at a Premiership club and whose daughter is undertaking trials at Liverpool FC, faced jail after she was convicted of sexual assault last month.

But she was sentenced last week to a nine-month community order and she must also carry out 15 days of a rehabilitation activity. 

She was further fined £200 fine with £295 costs to and was ordered to pay the victim £400 in compensation after a judge said ‘in drink people can and often do things which are very out of character.’ 

Finding her guilty of sexual assault, District Judge James Clarke said the victim felt ‘quite an unusual and unexpected type of contact’ and argued his complaint was ‘not something that could be misunderstood or mistaken.’

‘Clearly the words: “I will have him later and I don’t even know his name”, is a curious thing for the victim to misinterpret or invent if that is what is suggested he did.

‘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 judge added:  ‘The complainant gave a credible account in my assessment. It was not something that could be misunderstood or mistaken. I am not convinced it is something he made up. 

‘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.’

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Whiteside (pictured) was sentenced last week to a nine-month community order and she must also carry out 15 days of a rehabilitation activity. She was further fined £200 fine with £295 costs to and was ordered to pay the victim £400 in compensation after a judge said ‘in drink people can and often do things which are very out of character’

When Whiteside (pictured) was asked about the incident, she retorted: ‘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’

After the case Senior Crown Prosecutor Mike O’Kane, of CPS Mersey Cheshire, said: ‘This man was subjected to an unprovoked and entirely unexpected sexual assault by Ms Whiteside.

‘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.

‘The CPS works hard to fairly apply the law, irrespective of the gender of the suspect or victim, and to ensure that offending such as this is robustly prosecuted.

‘The victim in this matter was forced to attend trial and give evidence as Ms Whiteside refused to accept her culpability.’