Reading Crown Court: Man jailed for sex offences in Newbury town centre

A MAN sexually assaulted a teenage girl before exposing himself to shop customers in Newbury town centre.

Thirty-nine-year-old Bogdan Pascal is beginning a jail term this week after a Reading Crown Court judge heard the latest, sinister offences meant he was in breach of a suspended sentence for a previous sexual assault committed while he was in possession of a blade.

At the sentencing hearing on Monday, October 17, Efstathios Divaris, prosecuting, said the teenage victim had been walking towards McDonald's restaurant in Northbrook Street at 8.45am when she was accosted by Pascal, who began pestering her, saying, "Oi, come look at this."

Mr Divaris added: "She tried to walk off but he followed her and asked for her phone number.

"She refused, two or three times."

Still, Pascal persisted, the court heard, despite the girl's pleas to be left alone.

His unwanted advances then moved up a notch, as he put his arm round her shoulder and brought his free hand round her waist.

The girl sought refuge in the fast food restaurant, the court heard – but Pascal followed her in, demanding: "Where is she?"

Pascal was ejected by the management and he walked off towards Costa Coffee further down Northbrook Street.

Mr Divaris said that Pascal then stood outside the window and pulled down his trousers, exposing himself to customers.

Police were alerted and Pascal, who lives in Cumberland Avenue, Slough, was arrested at Newbury train station.

He admitted committing sexual assault and outraging public decency in Newbury on Sunday, January 23.

The latest convictions meant Pascal was in breach of a suspended prison sentence imposed for a previous sexual assault and possession of a bladed article committed in November 2020

Caroline Stewart, defending, said her client's actions were caused by excessive consumption of alcohol and that he was ashamed of his behaviour.

She urged Judge Edward Burgess KC not to activate the suspended sentence and concluded: "He wants a chance to put this offending behaviour behind him."

But after reading a pre-sentence report prepared by the probation service, Judge Burgess told Pascal: "You didn't engage with the offer of support to address your alcohol misuse.

"The report says: 'He doesn't have the motivation to address his offending behaviour.'

"I believe your engagement was only superficial."

Consequently, said Judge Burgess, he was activating the suspended sentence in its entirety, and adding extra prison time on top for the latest offending.

Pascal was jailed for a total of 36 weeks.

Half of that time will be actually served in prison and the remainder on licence in the community.

Pascal was also ordered to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

The investigating officer, Sgt John Heatley of Newbury police station, said afterwards: "Violence against women will not be tolerated in our communities and we will actively target men who pose the highest risk to women and girls.

"I would like to thank the public for their support in this investigation, as the information they provided was crucial in securing this conviction."