An engaged fireman who drunkenly crept into the bed of a family friend almost half his age before pleasuring himself under the covers next to her has narrowly avoided jail.
Edward Snook, then 31, turned up in the 17-year-old girls bedroom on the pretext of charging his mobile phone, but instead approached her bed, stroked her stomach and said: Youre beautiful - 17 and 30 is not bad.
The girl - who had only let Snook into her rented flat to sleep on her sofa as she knew him through family - fled the room in a state of panic when he started pleasuring himself in the bed and was said to be hyperventilating for 20 minutes.
But father-of-two Snook, a one time poster boy for the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, eventually left at 6am and said: Thank you for this, hopefully we can do this again.
Snook, of Knutsford, Cheshire, later sent a text to her mother apologising for messing up after he returned home and sobered up.
Engaged fireman Edward Snook, who drunkenly crept into the bed of a family friend almost half his age before pleasuring himself under the covers next to her, has narrowly avoided jail
He was reported to police after the girl told her family. In a statement read to a court this week the victim said: As soon as the incident happened to me I instantly went into fight or flight mode. I went into shock.
Having to explain what happened to friends family and police made me feel numb, I didnt want to think about it.
I was scared that he knew where my flat was and the internal layout. This was someone I trusted, a person who said if I ever needed anything just ask.
He abused my trust, my safety and me.
She said that for two weeks after the incident she slept on the couch. She was afraid he would return to her flat or her place of work.
Snook in fact did turn up at her workplace the day afterwards, but was turned away by staff,
It showed me he did not care about what happened by returning to where I was the very next day, she said.
She said it worried her that he was someone who could break into buildings for a living, so she had a lock installed on her bedroom door and she triple checks the locks.
I would sleep on the couch in fear of someone walking into my room while I was sleeping. I had to buy new bedding. I didnt want to sleep on my bedding. I have lost all trust and isolated myself.
Snook, of Knutsford, Cheshire, was sentenced to 26-weeks in prison suspended for 18 months, alongside 150 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation activity days
I didnt eat much. I was overworking and burnt out to try and distract myself from what happened as a coping mechanism.
To this day I still feel terrified of men that I previously trusted when they come up behind me.
On occasions when I have been working with males I have always trusted, when they come up behind me just to say Hi, I scream and can drop to the floor crying,
These are all things that I have never experienced before what happened with Eddie.
The girl said she found herself accusing her boyfriend of cheating on her and was scared on occasions when he touched her.
Father-of-two Snook was a one time poster boy for the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Her mother took her on holiday last year, which she said helped her cope but added: The last few weeks have been very difficult. I am crying in work and often suffer with sleepless nights.
At Crewe Magistrates Court, Snook, now 33, was found guilty of sexual assault following a trial.
He was sentenced to 26-weeks in prison suspended for 18 months, along with 150 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation activity days with the probation service.
Snook - who has since quit his job - was also ordered to pay £804 in costs and victim surcharge, was banned from contacting the girl for three years under the terms of a restraining order and told to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.
He admitted going to the girls house in the hope of having sex with her, but denied touching her or behaving sexually.
The incident occurred in April 2023 after Snook, who had attended a party in Knutsford with friends, texted the girl and asked if he could stay over at her flat when he tried unsuccessfully to get a drink at a cocktail bar.
The girl who cannot be named told the court: He asked me "Can I crash on your sofa?" and I did not want to say no because he is a family friend.
I said I would need to check with my housemate, but he was then, like, "I am outside."
I did not say he could stay, but I went down to let him in and he came in and said "Thanks for this". He was really drunk and was sweating and said he had been at a party.
I said: "Here is the living room" and gave him a pillow and a blanket but I then remember being woken up by my door being opened.
He walked in and said: "Can I borrow your charger? Can I get on the bed?"
He then got onto the bed, got under the quilt and was looking at me. He started rubbing my stomach and said: "You are just so beautiful. What would your mum do if she knew I was in bed with you right now?"
I said "She would not like it" but he was basically saying that he wanted to cheat on his girlfriend with me.
I said, "No, I do not want to do that that - Im not that person. Plus I am 17". But he was rubbing my stomach again then he said, "17 and 30 is not bad" - I was like "Yes it is."
Then I could feel something moving under the quilt and he was breathing very heavily the entire time.
Snook was told he had shown no remorse following a trial at Crewe Magistrates Court
I then said: "Do you want some water?" and he stopped. I remember going into the living room and having a panic attack.
I was sat there for about half an hour. I was looking out of the window and did not know what to do.
Do I awake my housemate? Do I scream or do I shout? I did not know what to do.
Then I thought if I kept calm and make him feel uncomfortable he would go. I went back into my room and sat on the bed close to the door so that I was facing him.
I asked to the question, "So what are you going to do today?"
He looked at his phone and said: "Actually, I have got to go. I have lots to do. I will walk home".
He said: "Thanks for everything" and gave me a hug.
He even said "Hopefully, we will do this again." I said, "No, sorry, probably not".
I could not sleep, it was horrible. You do not expect it. You do not expect someone in such a position as a fireman.
Prosecutor Miss Katy Johnson told the hearing: It is clear he had an intention of sexual intercourse with the complainant that evening.
He had been out drinking and attended her home with that intention. He lay on the sofa and then proceeded into her bedroom, but due to her body language gathered that she was not going to engage in sexual activity.
A promotional poster for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service features Snook as a model firefighter - but he has since quit his job since the incident
He claimed that he did not touch her, but he was drunk and the complainant was sober.
She clearly remembered he made reference to cheating on his partner. She advised that she was 17. She said No.
Any reasonable person would consider touching her stomach being sexual, given the conversation that he had taken place prior to the touching.
In mitigation, defence lawyer Miss Michelle Man told JPs: He no longer works with the fire service.
He still maintains his innocence, but in being interviewed by the probation service, he openly acknowledges that he would work in any type of punishment that you would impose on him. He is devastated by the turn of events.
Sentencing Snook, JP Christina Basnett told him: This was an abuse of trust on a 17-year-old girl that you knew. You have shown no remorse.