Jail for fondling breasts

THE excuse of being intoxicated failed to impress a San Fernando magistrate who yesterday jailed for nine months, a 43-year-old man who appeared in court charged with fondling the breasts of a woman.

In defending himself against the charge of indecent assault, Gunness Ramdass of Palmyra Village told deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington that he was intoxicated when he committed the offence.

“No amount of alcohol can cause a man to do that. You cannot go around touching women like that,” Wellington scolded Ramdass after the accused pleaded guilty to the charge.

Ramdass pleaded guilty to a charge of indecently assaulting a 19-year-old woman. In sentencing him, Wellington asked Ramdass why he touched the woman’s breast and the accused replied that he was drinking at a bar and he “had too much to drink.”

Prosecutor Sgt Joey Samaroo told the court that around 11 am two Mondays ago, the woman was walking along Naparima Mayaro Road in Palmyra Village, when Ramdass approached her. The accused accompanied the woman to a nearby parlour where he pushed her against the parlour’s counter and grabbed her left breast.

The court heard from Sgt Samaroo that the accused also put his mouth on the woman’s breast.

The startled woman shoved Ramdass away made her way to the Ste Madeleine police station where she reported the incident to PC Terrance Rahim. Ramdass was arrested last Saturday.

The court heard that when PC Rahim cautioned Ramdass, the accused said, “officer, I only feel up her breast.”

Asked by magistrate Wellington whether he had permission to touch her breast, Ramdass replied: “No sir.” But the accused claimed the victim did not resist when he touched her. Ramdass apologised to Wellington for his actions and begged him for a fine instead of jail.

“You are 43 years old, she can be your daughter,” Wellington scolded as he imposed the custodial sentence.”