A man followed his victim into his own bathroom before grabbing his crotch and asking him if he should "lock the door".
Andrew Mcgowan, of Grant Road, Liverpool, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Thursday. Emily Comer, prosecuting, detailed that one day last year, Mcgowan had been doing some manual work at the victim's home and asked to use the bathroom.
The victim, whose identity is protected, allowed Mcgowan into the bathroom but went in first to clean it briefly. Mcgowan followed him in, and said “can you come here”, pulled down his pants exposing his penis, and said “do you want to have some fun?”.
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He them grabbed the victim's bottom and crotch, despite him repeatedly saying no. The victim panicked and left the bathroom and went into his kitchen to call his family.
Mcgowan followed him into the kitchen and continued the assault, touching his bottom and crotch again before asking if he would perform a sex act on him. He also asked the victim if he would like him to lock the door, and the victim repeatedly told him no, before managing to escape the home.
He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault on a male, and has 15 convictions for 20 offences, the most recent of which in April 2022, for which he received a 24 month community order. Gary Bryan, defending, said: “He embraces the full facts of what occurred as per the complainants account, he has shown genuine regret and remorse.
“He deeply regrets this isolated occurrence. ”He described his client as “disgusted in himself”, and said it was “a moment of madness” for which he feels empathy.
Mr Bryan also detailed that this is Mcgowan's first offence of a sexual nature, and he has completed several drug and alcohol rehabilitation programmes. In sentencing, Deputy District Judge Mary Dowrick said: “You don’t need me to tell you that this is a very serious and frankly horrendous offence.
“This man was in his own home, a place where he should have been able to be safe and he was assaulted by you and followed through his home, it was a sustained assault.” She sentenced Mcgowan to 16 weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered him to comply with the Horizon programme for sex offenders.
He was also ordered to complete 20 sessions of rehabilitation requirements, and pay a victim surcharge of £154. A restraining order was also implemented and he will be subject to notification requirements for seven years.
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