Pensioner groped woman sitting on Market Square bench
A WOMAN was sexually assaulted as she sat on a bench in Market Square at 7.30 one morning.
Robert Heyslop squeezed the woman’s breast twice and then sat on a bench and masturbated before her. The woman sought refuge in the Town Church and police were called. When Heyslop entered the church shortly afterwards he was arrested.
In the Magistrate’s Court the defendant, 71, of Le Grand Bouet, St Peter Port, admitted the offence of sexual assault and an unrelated charge of theft.
The court was told how the woman had been sitting on a bench with her dog on her lap. Heyslop approached from behind and after patting her dog had squeezed her breast. At first she thought it might have been accidental but he repeated his action and the dog began to growl.
Heyslop moved to a nearby bench and signalled for the woman to approach him.
When she did, she saw his trousers were down and he was touching himself. He asked her to go for a coffee with him.
The woman went to the Town Church where she told a minister what had happened. The police were called. Heyslop was arrested in the church and immediately admitted that he had touched the woman’s breast.
The theft charge involved him taking a bottle of wine, valued at £6.85, from the Longstore Co-op. He was identified from CCTV and immediately admitted the offence. He said he was an alcoholic and could not afford to pay for it. He had previous matters on his record but all dated back several years.
Defending, Advocate Amy Davies said her client had touched the woman over her clothes and there were no threats of violence. He had admitted what he had done and he understood how distressing it would have been for the woman. He was trying to cut down on his alcohol use.
Assistant Judge Graeme McKerrell said he was grateful to the Probation Service for its detailed report and offender assessment, which stated that a community-based penalty would not be appropriate.
Heyslop’s behaviour had been totally unacceptable. He had shown little victim empathy, and seemed to spend his state benefits on alcohol, cannabis, when he could get it, and gambling.
He jailed him for four months for the sexual assault, and made him subject to notification requirements for five years, with a further month’s imprisonment for the theft.
