UK man in island for work sexually assaulted woman
DAYS after being sentenced for drug offences at Liverpool Crown Court, a man committed four offences of a different nature in a Guernsey bar.
Mark Taylor, 36, of no fixed address, was jailed for a total of 10 weeks when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court.
The court was told how he had come to Guernsey for work.
At about 8pm one evening he began chatting to a woman in Bad Habits in the Lower Pollet. Their initial contact came to an end but when he passed the woman later he touched her bottom. The woman told her friends about this but did nothing at the time.
About 30 minutes later she was at the bar when Taylor approached from behind, put her in a headlock, and pulled her towards him. She managed to break free but this scared her and she told him not to do it.
Seeing her distress, a male friend of the woman told the defendant to leave her alone. Taylor responded by grabbing his shoulders and after pushing him away, the man reported what had happened to the bar manager.
When the bar manager spoke to him, Taylor began swearing at the man and challenged him to a fight. Police were called and he was arrested outside.
The month before at Liverpool Crown Court Taylor had been ordered to perform 200 hours of community service and a prison sentence of 12 months suspended for two years was meted for offences relating to the possession and supply of controlled drugs.
Defending, Advocate Amy Davies said her client had gone drinking on an empty stomach after work that night and he was far more intoxicated than intended.
Neither complainant had suffered any injuries and there was nothing on his record for sexual offending. He wished to apologise to the court for his behaviour.
Judge Gary Perry said the court had said before that it took these type of offences very seriously.
They objectified women who should be able to go to Town of an evening and feel safe. While these offences were at the lower end of the scale, he had to consider the suspended sentence imposed by the UK court when reaching his decision.
For sexually assaulting the woman by tapping her bottom, and assaulting her by grabbing her neck, prison sentences of two weeks, and four weeks respectively and concurrent were imposed.
He was sentenced to a further two weeks for assaulting the woman’s friend.
For behaving in a disorderly manner, which resulted from his actions towards the bar manager, Taylor was ordered to serve a further four weeks.
