(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)
A man accused of aggressively slapping a woman’s bottom minutes after making a lewd comment to another woman has been remanded in custody.
James Thompson was arrested after police received a report that a woman had been inappropriately touched on September 25.
Thompson was identified and arrested after officers stopped a vehicle on Bonomi Way shortly before 12.45am on September 30.
The convicted sex offender was found in possession of a mobile phone which was in breach of his sexual harm prevention order, Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard.
Prosecutor Liz McGowan said: “The first offence happened when a woman was running alone. She paused to remove a stick from her shoe and the defendant shouted at her.
“She says he shouted, ‘you have something on your top’, and pointed at her chest before shouting, ‘you have nice t***’, then ran off laughing.
“The second incident involved a woman walking a dog. She saw him, and he approached her and said, ‘look at that fat a***’, then slapped her bottom really hard.
“She has the presence of mind to take a mobile phone video of him walking away.”
Ms McGowan said Thompson breached his SHPO by having an unregistered mobile phone when police arrested him.
She said Thompson was on police bail for unrelated sexual offences when the assault happened.
Thompson, of no fixed abode, admitted sexual assault, breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress because of a person’s sex.
His lawyer, Michelle Stonely, urged the judge to order a pre-sentence report because of the offences and his previous conviction.
District Judge Steven Hood remanded Thompson in custody until sentencing later this month.
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He said: “Until I read the pre-sentence report, I do not know whether these matters can be dealt with at magistrates or crown court.
“There are a number of aggravating factors in this case.
“There were two vulnerable individuals and you took some pleasure from the discomfort you caused.”
Thompson will appear in court again on October 21.