Drinker grabbed woman's breasts outside Leeds bar in 'case of mistaken identity'
A drinker who wrapped his arms arounds a woman at a Leeds bar and squeezed her breasts says it was a case of mistaken identity.
Andrew Graham appeared at Leeds Crown Court this week after being charged with sexual assault.
The court was told that the victim had been on a night out with friends on September 18 last year and was drinking in the Mean-Eyed Cat on Merrion Street. She had been dancing and went outside with friends for a cigarette.
While outside, Graham approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her. Shocked, she pushed him away. The incident lasted around 10 seconds, the court heard.
The police were called and Graham was taken away by friends. Officers arrested him a short time later. He then gave a no-comment interview
The 37-year-old admitted sexual assault. He has no previous convictions.
Mitigating, Emily Calman said: “He had never been before the courts in regard to anything, never been arrested and never been in the least bit of trouble. He mistakenly thought the female was a friend of his.
“He made the stupid decision not to check who the female was. He acted in a totally inappropriate manner.
“You can see the reaction on the CCTV, when he realises it was not the person he thought it was. There was genuine remorse immediately. He has learned a salutary lesson.”
She said that Graham, who had been living at Gloucester Terrace, Chester, but had since moved to the Cayman Islands, was prepared to move back to the UK temporarily to complete any court order given by the judge.
Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told Graham: “It seems that you had been drinking all day. Whether it was a genuine mistake or not, what is clear is that it caused a great deal of distress.
“You may think that it’s something innocuous, but it’s not. Look at it from the victim’s point of view, it can cause distress and trauma, which it did in this case.”
He gave him a nine-month community order, with 60 hours of unpaid work and 10 rehabilitation days with probation. He was also told to pay £1,000 court costs.