A Warwick man who admitted grabbing a woman’s buttocks was given a suspended prison sentence in Magistrates’ Court this morning.

Kevin Mendonca, 34, pleaded guilty earlier this year to intruding on the privacy of a woman during an incident on May 29.

Mendonca, who knew the victim, told the writers of a social inquiry report that he had “misread the situation” and was deeply apologetic.

Prosecutor Takiyah Burgess noted that Mendonca had previously been convicted of a sexual offence and a “short ,sharp shock” or harsh fine would be appropriate in the current case.

Defence lawyer Peter Farge, meanwhile, emphasised that Mendonca apologised for his actions immediately, adding that the defendant’s actions were not sexual in nature.

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo responded: “It may not have been intended to be sexual, but it made out the offence. He intruded on her privacy.”

Delivering his sentence, Mr Tokunbo said that even if Mendonca had misread the signals, it did not minimise the impact his actions had on the victim.

“You need to keep your hands to yourself,” he said. “Intruding on someone’s privacy is serious, but what you did may be on the lower end of the scale.”

In all the circumstances, Mr Tokunbo sentenced Mendonca to ten days in prison but suspended that sentence for one year. He also placed the defendant on 12 months probation, warning him that if he commits another offence or breaches his probation the sentence could be activated.

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