A Metropolitan Police special constable who groped a 14-year-old girl’s bottom in the queue at Tesco was caught thanks to the pineapple chunks he was buying at the time.
Hassnain Shahzad, 27, preyed on the schoolgirl while she was shopping with her mother at the Tesco Express in Bishopsgate in the City of London.
He put his hand on her bottom inside the store, in a moment the girl first thought might have been accidental, but to her "horror" she realised it was deliberate when Shahzad groped her a second time in the street outside.
The girl was hailed by a judge at Inner London crown court as "very bright and very brave" for coming forward to police and giving evidence in Shahzad’s trial.
She remembered her attacker had been holding a carton of chopped pineapple when the incident happened, helping City of London Police detectives to find him on CCTV and track him down.
Shahzad joined the Met as a special constable in June 2023, and he had just completed his training when the sexual assaults happened a few months later.
On Thursday, Judge David Richards handed Shahzad a six-month prison term suspended for 18 months and ordered him to complete 25 rehabilitation days with the probation service as well as 120 hours of community service.
"This was not just a casual touching of someone’s upper leg or bottom, it was a violation of her rights over her own body", said the judge.
"Everything was well, and decent, and innocent in her world, and you ruined that with your selfish conduct."
The judge also slammed Shahzad for damaging the reputation of the Met Police and "letting down victims of crime across London".
The court heard when Shahzad was arrested he had a series of videos on his phone showing he had followed women in the street and filmed their bottoms.
"They do reflect an unhealthy interest both in looking at passersby in that way and following them", commented the judge.
The girl’s mother tearfully spoke to the court about the impact the incident has had on her teenage daughter, saying it has "shattered" her trust in adults and marks the "tragic end of her innocence".
"His despicable actions, although momentary, will haunt her for the rest of her life", she said.
CCTV footage from inside Tesco shows Shahzad entering the store at just after 10.45pm on August 25, 2023, before paying at the tills less than five minutes later - after the first sexual assault had taken place.
He passed by the girl and touched her on the bottom as she was queuing for the self-service checkouts, and this was when she noticed his distinctive pineapple food purchase.
The girl and her mother left the Tesco to head back to the hotel where they were staying, and CCTV shows Shahzad followed them and "made a beeline" for the girl when there was plenty of space on the pavement.
The girl’s mother said her daughter was “distraught and just wanted to go back home rather than the hotel“ immediately after the assaults, and they were helped by two women who insisted they should go back to the Tesco to see the CCTV.
She said her daughter persisted with the criminal case which stretched across more than a year and a half, and continues to be a “beacon of kindness and understanding towards others, despite the fear that shadows her every step“.
“It's heartbreaking to watch“, she said. “I’ve seen the way her body tenses, the subtle shift in her expression when she sees men approaching or staring at her. There’s a fear in her eyes that no child should have to experience.
“Despite this, she continues to show compassion to everyone around her, trying to push through the overwhelming anxiety that clutches at her heart. It’s a daily struggle that no one should have to endure, and yet she faces it with such quiet strength. But I can't help but feel the weight of what she's going through and how much more we need to do to protect her, to help her feel safe again.
“That day would mark the tragic end of her innocence, snatching away her right to view the world through the innocent eyes of a child. Before the assault, she was a carefree spirit, always bubbling with laughter and playful. She radiated a kind of unfettered happiness that was contagious, relishing the company of her family without a care in the world.
“We’ll never know now what her life would have been like without Shahzad’s actions. I find myself seeking her permission for even the simplest gestures of affection, like a hug. The days of spontaneous affection are gone, replaced by a painful necessity to ask, a stark reminder of the trust that was shattered.”
In her own statement, the girl addressed Shahzad directly, saying: “In a single moment, my day, my life, changed forever.
“You have affected me in more ways than you will ever know. I am almost certain you do not care.“
She and her mother said they were determined to speak out “to show others that no one has the right to touch you inappropriately and think it is acceptable.”
“No one should ever feel like they have to stay quiet. I spoke up so others would know that they can too.“
She added: “When I should be focusing on my exams, I struggle to concentrate. Instead of confidence, I feel doubt.
“Instead of motivation, I feel anger and resentment.
“A guilty verdict may have stopped you, but it hasn’t stopped the pain you caused or erased the scars you left behind. But I carried on fighting. I refused to let what happened silence me.“
Shahzad, who was a volunteer officer in the Met Police’s East Area Command Unit, was convicted at trial of sexual assault, after claiming contact with the girl had been accidental, akin to comings-together on a busy Tube train.
The girl’s mother called it an “act of cruelty“ that Shahzad pushed the case to trial despite the evidence against him.
“He has shown no moral compass or remorse“, she said. “He’s only sorry he was caught.”
Shahzad was arrested at home in Ilford on September 27, 2023, after his identity was revealed by his card payment in the Tesco store.
Detective Constable Sarah Elsom, the investigating officer, said the victim’s “courage throughout the two-year process has been inspirational“.
“This was a deplorable crime carried out by someone who held a position of trust as a Metropolitan Police Special Constable.
“He had ample opportunity once presented with the clear evidence to admit to his crimes, but he decided to put his victim through court proceedings.
“Hassnain Shahzad is a convicted sex offender and thanks to the bravery of his victim, he has been brought to justice.
“We’d urge sexual assault victims to come forward. You will be believed and listened to by a dedicated officer who will support you through the criminal justice system.”
Shahzad is now under a court-ordered sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) for the next seven years, banning him from going near schools or having unsupervised contact with a child, and he must make any phones and computers available for inspection to police on request.
