GRAVESEND PERVERT WHO SEXUALLY TOUCHED WOMAN AS SHE GOT OUT OF A HOT TUB AT CYGNET LEISURE CENTRE IN NORTHFLEET AVOIDS JAIL
A pervert who sexually touched a woman as she was getting out of a Jacuzzi has been banned from spas and placed on the sex offenders register.Sarbjit Hundal, of Wrotham Road, Gravesend, sexually assaulted the woman at the Cygnet Leisure Centre in Northfleet last April.
During a trial at Medway Magistrates’ Court, it was said he had stumbled into the Jacuzzi, almost sitting on top of one of the two women already in the hot tub.
Prosecutor Sidumiso Moyo said he allegedly touched both women under the water on their bottoms, one with his hand and the other with his foot.
Ms Moyo added: “As the women leave the pool, the defendant is said to have reached up to one of them and touched her inner thigh and her vagina over her swimwear.” While giving evidence in court, the woman said she had previously chatted to her attacker, and on the day she was sexually assaulted, Hundal came into the Jacuzzi and sat extremely close to her despite there being “loads of room”.
“She sat right next to me – virtually on top of me,” she said.
“His right arm was touching my left arm.
“I felt him touching my bum under the water.
I wasn’t 100% sure at first because of the jets, maybe about 80%, but it made me uncomfortable.
I looked at my friend and said ‘let’s go’.” As she began to climb out of the Jacuzzi, magistrates heard Hundal allegedly made a remark about slapping her bottom.
Her friend had told him: “It would be more than your life’s worth.” Footage from the health suite was then shown during the hearing, which clearly showed Hundal reaching his hand out of the water and touching the woman.
“It was over my swimwear, but you can see it clearly on the footage,” she added.
“I was in utter shock.
My mind just went blank.
I just wanted to get away from him.” The woman said she hurried back to the changing rooms, where she told her friend exactly what had happened.
Her friend then went to confront Hundal, but she pulled her back, and they reported the incident to the staff.
“I was so angry, but I just wanted to go home,” she added.
The matter was then reported to police, and the woman told the court she’d not returned to the pool since.
“I can’t face it,” she said.
“My anxiety has got worse.” Her friend, who had been sitting next to her in the Jacuzzi, also gave evidence and said Hundal had earlier appeared to be drunk and was “staggering” as he came out of the steam room.
“I automatically knew something was off,” she said.
She also told magistrates he stumbled as he climbed the steps into the hot tub and nearly sat on her friend’s lap.
“He stretched his legs out and started tapping my bum with his foot under the water,” she said.
“I told him to stop and curled up in a ball because I felt uncomfortable.” A manager at the centre also gave evidence during the trial and told the court the matter had been reported to the duty manager that day, and incident reports were completed.
She said that although no one witnessed the touching, several customers had complained about Hundal’s behaviour in the health suite area and the matter was then reported to police.
The 54-year-old had denied two counts of sexual assault, and the trial was held on March 11.
Hundal, who was a regular user of the gym and spa facilities but has since been banned, denied touching either woman and also denied he’d been drinking that day.
He told the court they had previously chatted and said the conversation in the Jacuzzi had been “friendly banter.” “I don’t remember making contact with the women,” he told the court.
However, Magistrates found him guilty of touching the woman’s inner thigh and vagina over her swimwear, but not guilty of the alleged touching under the water on either woman.
They said these incidents could not be proved as they could not see on the footage what happened under the water.
The bench then jailed Hundal for 26 weeks but suspended the term for 24 months.
They also banned him from entering health suites, steam rooms, saunas and Jacuzzis at gyms for the period, but he is allowed to join a gym without those facilities.
He must also pay £650 in costs and a £154 victim surcharge and was made subject to sex offender notification requirements for seven years.
Hundal was on bail for other offences at the time of the attack.
