A 53-year-old sandwich factory worker who grabbed a female work colleague by the breasts and threatened to kill her has been fined £250 and ordered to pay the victim £500 in compensation.
In the case heard at Enniskillen Magistrates Court Borisas Lisauskas, of Silverstream Court, Enniskillen appeared with his wife to face the charge of sexual assault.
The prosecutor outlined that on December 5, 2013 police called to a house in Enniskillen where they spoke to the injured party. She made allegations that she had been in the washroom at her place of work, the Bite Group, when her work colleague Lisauskas came up behind her.
She told police he grabbed her breasts and squeezed them, before pushing her to the side. He then moved to the front and grabbed her breasts again. The injured party then made a further allegation that Lisauskas threatened her by saying ‘ I will kill you, I will destroy you’ while making a motion with his hand across his throat.
Lisauskas was identified and arrested by police. During interview he denied grabbing the woman’s breasts, but did accept coming into contact with her.
He told police he had pushed the woman to the side with his elbow, which had then come into contact with her breasts. Lisauskas denied making any threatening remarks.
The court heard that Lisauskas and his wife both worked at the factory, but had since left their positions while the victim remained an employee.
Defence barrister Gavin Cairns said there was one contact between Lisauskas and the woman. He commended the woman for her fortitude in making the complaint to her employers.
Mr Cairns said that by his client’s plea he had shown remorse and had accepted plainly the incident should not have happened. The defence said that this ‘unfortunate case’ had come against a good working relationship between the pair and said was a momentary incident of touching over clothing. Mr Cairns recognised however this would have been a particularly distressing incident for the woman.
Speaking directly to Lisauskas district judge Nigel Broderick said: “There’s no excuse whatsoever for your behaviour.”
Mr Broderick acknowledged that the defendant’s plea had spared the victim the trauma of giving evidence and took into account his clear record. In imposing his sentence the district judge also made a restraining order for a period of two years prohibiting Lisauskas any contact with the injured party or engaging in any behaviour which could cause harassment to her, either by himself or someone acting on his behalf.
The judge warned the defendant that any breach of the order would carry a period of imprisonment.
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