Three men jailed for attack on woman at Birkenhead rail station

May 27 2009 by Kevin Core, Birkenhead News

THREE Wirral men are beginning jail sentences after a woman was forced to defend herself from them using an umbrella.

The 27-year-old was cornered by the trio at Green Lane station shortly before 8pm on December 21.

Stuart Whitfield, 24, and Michael Totty, 21, both of Birkenhead, and David Hill of Prenton, spotted the woman, who does not wish to be identified, crossing the footbridge heading for trains to Liverpool.

The trio hurled a variety of insults, even spitting on her.

They followed her and when cornered at one end of the platform, the woman used her pink umbrella to lash out at the men and keep them at bay.

They then ran from the platform, leaving the victim extremely shaken.

She managed to contact the police and Totty and Whitfield were arrested a short distance from the station.

Hill managed to run away, but was located at his home address.

Totty and Whitfield were both found guilty of assault last week at Wirral Magistrates Court and received 15 and 14 weeks’ imprisonment respectively.

David Hill had pleaded guilty to assault and received 12 weeks’ imprisonment at an earlier appearance at Liverpool Crown Court.

Speaking after the case the woman said: “I used my umbrella to try to fend them off as I didn't want them to think they had got to me.

“Looking back I was terrified because I didn't know what they were going to do and whether they were going to stop.”

She added: “I'm glad that the three have been punished for what they did and also that I reported what happened to the police because they have been great with me.

“I would advise anyone who goes through something similar to report it to the police because these people need to be arrested and dealt with.”

British Transport Police’s chief inspector Neil Moffat said: “This was a nasty, malicious attack on a lone female by a drunken trio of extremely intimidating young men.

“The sentences reflect this level of intimidation and the fact that the victim genuinely feared for her safety.

“Thankfully this type of incident is extremely rare on the rail network in Merseyside.”