A former York University student has been jailed for three-and-a-half years for a sexual assault which left a young woman suffering from nightmares and scared to leave her home.
Wade Makey, 26, appeared for sentence at York Crown Court yesterday (15 January) after pleading guilty to one count of sexual assault.
Prosecutor Dan Cordey said the incident occurred in 2024 when Makey was studying at the University of York and living in the city.
Mr Cordey said the assault left the victim “very distressed” and suffering with depression.
In a victim-impact statement read out by the prosecution, the woman said the assault had left her “distraught”.
“I was scared to leave my house,” she added.
She had suffered with poor sleep, nightmares and had “no motivation”.
Defence barrister John Batchelor said that Makey – who has lately been studying artificial intelligence and robotics at Sheffield Hallam University – was on the autistic spectrum and suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which affected his decision-making.
He added that Makey, lately of Acorn Street, Sheffield, had never been in trouble before.
Judge Simon Hickey said although it was accepted that Makey had the two neurological disorders, they didn’t mitigate the offence nor reduce his culpability because he knew what he was doing was wrong.
He noted the “ongoing significant impact” on the victim who can’t be named for legal reasons.
He told Makey: “An immediate (jail) sentence will impact you greatly because of your difficulties…but it has to be.”
Makey received a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence but was told he would serve less than half of that behind bars before being released on prison licence. He was ordered to sign on the sex-offenders’ register for life.
