A Penrith man who sexually assaulted a woman in a wheelchair at Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary has been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register.
Hospital CCTV captured the moment intoxicated Alex Balcombe, 27, touched the woman during an incident on the early morning of December 12.
Both Balcombe and the woman were in the accident and emergency department waiting area, him standing and she sat in a wheelchair.
She gave a female friend of Balcombe two cigarettes. He then said to the woman: “Are you all right, man?”, Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard.
After being told she was in fact a woman, Balcombe replied “no way” before leaning forward and placing his hand on her crotch. He was hit by his pal, who said his conduct was inappropriate.
Balcombe, of Greystoke Park Avenue, Penrith, initially denied sexual assault but changed his plea to guilty during a hearing today.
Speaking about the impact of his act, the victim stated: “I was in shock at the time of the incident. I had medication on my person and I felt like taking an overdose. A couple of days after the incident I did self harm by cutting, and I know that this incident was a trigger.”
Steven Marsh, defending, said the incident was very brief and that Balcombe’s intention was in no way a sexual one.
Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order comprising a rehabilitation requirement and 110 hours’ unpaid work. Balcombe must pay the victim £250 compensation and sign the sex offenders’ register for five years.
