Belfast: Man jailed for sexually assaulting woman during dance in bar

BELFAST: MAN JAILED FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING WOMAN DURING DANCE IN BAR

A 31-year-old man named Abrao Soares Raul has been sentenced to six months in jail for sexually assaulting a woman while they were dancing in a Belfast bar.

The court also ordered him to register as a sex offender for seven years and imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order that restrains him from entering into relationships without informing a designated risk manager.

The judge, District Judge Steven Keown, expressed that the available sentencing powers were inadequate for such a crime, as the maximum penalty he could impose was only six months.

The incident occurred on August 4 last year, when Raul was detained by door staff after a woman reported that he had inappropriately touched her during dancing.

She alleged that he placed his hand down her trousers, touching her genitals, and also touched her breasts inside her top.

During initial police dealings, Raul repeatedly apologized and asked officers to convey his apologies to the woman but then denied the charge at court, leading to his conviction in his absence.

The defense highlighted his previous clean record and his move to Northern Ireland in 2015 to work as a welder, as well as his willingness to engage in community service.

Despite this, the judge noted he took no personal responsibility and continued to deny the offense, questioning why the case was not prosecuted in the Crown Court where harsher sentences could be handed down.