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AN Omagh man who sexually assaulted a shop assistant has been handed a probation order and ordered to pay compensation to his victim for the distress caused.
The court heard that on Monday, May 13, 2024, police were called to a Spar shop on the Gortin Road following a report that Robert Lajos had grabbed the shop assistant’s backside.
When officers arrived, Lajos (35), of Georges Street, was described as highly agitated and claimed he had been discriminated against.
He was arrested at the scene and later admitted the offence, before being charged with sexual assault. A defence solicitor described the incident as a serious matter and a violation, which they said had weighed heavily on Lajos since it occurred. The court was told that Lajos was extremely remorseful and fearful of the consequences of his actions.
The defence accepted that alcohol had been consumed at the time of the offence, but said Lajos had since made significant lifestyle changes and was considered to be at low risk of reoffending.
The solicitor described Lajos as someone who ‘keeps himself to himself’ and said there was no pattern of sexually motivated behaviour.
In mitigation, the defence sought maximum credit for Lajos’ early guilty plea and said he was willing to co-operate fully with a probation order. District Judge Conor Heaney described Lajos’ behaviour as “outrageous” and said the court could not take a lenient view of the offence.
However, the judge acknowledged the early guilty plea and noted that Lajos had no previous convictions.
Lajos was handed a ten-month probation order and ordered to pay £500 in compensation to the victim. Judge Heaney said the sentence was a ‘direct alternative to imprisonment’.
