Sex assault ‘a grotesque invasion of privacy’

AN ARROGANT clubber put his hands up a woman’s skirt and touched her knickers during a night out in Newcastle.

Edward Dixon brushed past his 19-year-old victim and sexually assaulted her in what a judge described as “a grotesque invasion of her privacy”.

The pair didn’t know each other and were out with separate groups of friends in Illegitimate nightclub, in the Bigg Market.

Newcastle Crown Court was told that as Dixon walked past the woman, he put his hand up her skirt and touched her knickers.

Prosecutors said that witnesses described Dixon as looking “zoned out” as he committed the offence and had to be screamed at by the shocked victim to stop.

Dixon, of Poplar Avenue, Dinnington, Newcastle, later pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault but was convicted by a jury during a trial. Sentencing him to a two-year community order, Recorder Richard Woolfall said it was “a grotesque invasion of her privacy”. Recorder Woolfall added: “You had arrogance to think you could behave in this appalling way and get away with it.” The court heard Dixon “lied” during the trial and has made derogatory claims about his victim.

John Wilkinson, defending, said Dixon continued to deny the offence but had written a letter of apology to the court after an outburst on conviction when he said the guilty verdict was “ridiculous”. Dixon was also made to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years and was ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work.