'Barking mad': Teen sexually assaulted a schoolgirl at Telford railway station

Unemployed Max Colley, aged 19, sexually assaulted the secondary school pupil at Telford Central railway station as she waited for the train on her way to school in the morning.

Shrewsbury Crown Court was told how Colley, who was 17 at the time of the offence, had previously told the girl’s friend he “thought she was pretty”, before carrying out the attack.

It was at around 8.50am on May 26, 2023 when the victim spotted Colley at the station, and thought he was “acting suspiciously”.

“She had a feeling something was going to happen,” said Simon Parry, prosecuting.

Colley approached her and they hugged, before he sexually assaulted her.

“She told him to stop,” Mr Parry said, adding that Colley held onto the victim before letting her go. 

“She got on the train and burst into tears,” said Mr Parry. “She broke down at school later and told a member of staff. She said she felt angry, sad and anxious.”

'To think that it was a sensible way to show a girl that you’re interested is barking mad'

Colley, of Westbourne, Woodside, Telford, was interviewed by police but made no comment to the questions he was asked.

He pleaded guilty to causing a female aged 13 or over to engage in sexual activity. He has no previous convictions.

Debra White, mitigating for Colley, said: “It was a very stupid thing to do, something which he clearly did without thinking of the consequences to the victim or himself.”

She added that the conviction is something “which will follow him into adulthood,” and “serve as a reminder that this type of behaviour is unacceptable.”

Judge Anthony Lowe said that “plainly” it was Colley’s intention to sexually assault the girl.

“I have no idea what was going through your head when you did this,” he told Colley. 

“Leaving aside that she was only 14, to think that it was a sensible way to show a girl that you’re interested is barking mad.

“I hope you realise that and now you are hopefully more mature. 

“This will have had quite an effect on her,” he added, saying the girl will have felt like “a piece of meat who can be pushed around” because Colley is male and she is female.

“As you get older you’re going to get into more sexual relationships,” the judge told Colley. “If you don’t understand the rules, you’re going to end up back in court for more serious offences, not that this isn’t a serious offence.”

12 month community order

He sentenced Colley to a 12-month community order which includes 20 rehabilitation activity days.

The judge said probation workers would look at Colley’s attitudes towards “sex, sexuality and women”.

He also expressed frustration at the time it took for the case to come to a conclusion, saying he was not including a punitive element in the sentence due to the delay.

“There is a real need with offences against young people that they get before the court literally weeks after the offence,” he said. “People shouldn’t be waiting for this period of time.”

He also made Colley subject of a three-year restraining order, banning him from contacting the victim.

“I really hope this was a one-off and nothing like this is going to happen again,” the judge said. “I hope you’ve learned your lesson.”