3:04pm Thursday 2nd July 2009
A 48-year-old woman has pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a female after grabbing her crotch through her trousers while drunk.
Ann Boyce, of Ludlow Mead, Watford, admitted the offence at Watford Magistrates Court on the day of trial.
Boyce had already pleaded guilty to a charge of drunk and disorderly.
Reporting the case fully is hampered due to restrictions to protect the identity of the adult victim – who was not present due to family illness.
Prosecuting, Maria Jabati, said the victim was “disgusted” after Boyce “grabbed her in the vagina area” without warning on Thursday, March 5.
During police interview Boyce said she had consumed a great deal of alcohol and did not know what she had done.
She was shocked by the allegation of sexual assault and had no recollection of the offence.
Boyce has a number of convictions for drunk and disorderly and public order offences, relating to her drinking.
These two offences put her in breach of a conditional discharge.
John Fuller, for the defence, said on the day of the offence Miss Boyce had drunk half a bottle of vodka when she was found lying in the street by police in Hallowes Crescent, Watford.
When asked by police how drunk she was on a scale of one to ten she said “over ten” and that she was “steaming”.
Mr Fuller said: “She has had an alcohol problem for a number of years and cannot remember the day in question at all.
“She is not in a position to dispute the issue of whether the act happened.
“She finds the whole allegation distressing and upsetting and embarrassing. This is totally out of character and it is wholly unclear what caused her to do it.
“It is clear there was no sexual intent and she expresses remorse and apologises and would like to apologise to her [the victim's] face if she were here.”
On Wednesday chairman of the bench Kevin Walsh adjourned sentence for reports until Monday, July 27.
He said: “We consider this so serious you may go into custody, due to the nature of the offence, it was a sexual assault and the distress it caused the victim.
“We would like the report author to look at a suitable alcohol treatment programme so that the bench that sentences you has full information to help decide what to do.”
Boyce was released on unconditional bail.
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