KASPARSGRIKIS AND SHOCKING SEXUAL ASSAULT ATTEMPT IN CRAWLEY
A man has been sentenced to prison after attempting to commit a sexual assault against an elderly woman in Crawley.Kaspars Grikis, aged 38, has a troubling criminal history, having been a registered sex offender for the past five years due to earlier sexual assaults involving four women at a supermarket in Crawley during 2020.
The recent incident took place on July 22 of this year near Grikis's residence.
Court proceedings at Crawley Magistrates Court revealed that Grikis approached a woman in her seventies, whom he did not know.
According to reports, he initially tried to start a casual conversation with her, but the encounter quickly turned problematic.
He made unwanted physical contact by touching her and attempting to kiss her without her consent.
The elderly woman resisted his advances, which led her to contact the police.
Following the report of the incident, law enforcement moved swiftly to ensure the safety of the victim and to address the threat posed by Grikis.
He was subsequently brought before the court, where he pleaded guilty to the attempted sexual assault.
The court sentenced Grikis to 12 months in prison for his actions.
In addition to his incarceration, he was ordered to remain on the sex offenders' register for an additional five years.
To further protect the community and the victim, the court also issued a restraining order that prevents Grikis from having any contact with the woman until further notice.
Police Constable Mat Wyatt commented on the case, stating, 'Grikis has already been a registered sex offender for five years following his conviction in June 2020 for sexual assaults on four women at a supermarket in Crawley.
The new five-year requirement imposed on August 2 will make him subject to our supervision for a total of ten years from 2020.' He added, 'When the incident was reported in July, we responded promptly to safeguard the victim by ensuring Grikis was returned to court, where he received the maximum custodial sentence possible for this kind of offending, effectively removing him from the streets and imposing further restrictions on his conduct.'
