MAN SENTENCED FOR KINGSGATE CHANGING ROOM SEX ASSAULT
Darren Stawman, of Hollins Row, Slaithwaite, was ordered by magistrates to sign the sex offenders’ register after admitting sexually touching a 15-year-old girl in a changing room cubicle at Huddersfield’s Kingsgate Centre.He was also sentenced to a community order and 150 hours of unpaid work for using threatening behavior, intimidating a witness, and assaulting a police officer.
The court heard that Stawman had first met the teenager when she visited her grandmother.
He later asked her to go out with him, but when she refused, he obtained her phone number and began calling and texting her.
On July 30, he approached her in town, grabbed her, and followed her into a dressing room, where he got hold of her, tried to kiss her, and rubbed his body against her hips.
The victim's friend described her as upset and disturbed afterwards.
Additionally, Stawman was involved in separate incidents, including threatening his ex-girlfriend and assaulting a police officer during arrest.
Magistrates noted that the offences were serious, especially considering the victim's age and the use of a bottle during a threatening incident.
Stawman, who has problems with alcohol and drugs, pleaded guilty to all charges.
The court also ordered him to pay £250 towards court costs.
The sentence reflects the severity given the circumstances, with a focus on safeguarding due to the victim's age.
