Description
A sexual predator targeted and repeatedly stared at an unsuspecting woman in a crowded pub before positioning himself close to her at the bar and touching her inappropriately.
Drunk on four or five pints of beer, he followed her for about 20 minutes before the assault, leaving her distressed and shocked, Hull Crown Court heard.
Deniss Mandruks, 26, of no fixed address but recently remanded in custody, was convicted after a trial at Hull Magistrates' Court of sexual assault on May 5.
Prosecutor Jeremy Evans said the woman was out with friends in the city centre when Mandruks entered their pub at 1:11am. Door staff confronted him twice for "obnoxious behaviour," spilling drinks, and acting loudly and aggressively toward two women.
"He was wobbly and unsteady on his feet," Mr Evans said. Mandruks was ejected but returned.
While she danced, "He continued to stare at her," Mr Evans added. "She caught his eye on four separate occasions. He had her under observation throughout this period of time and was clearly targeting her. He watched her, he stared at her and he stalked her."
At 1:30am, as she ordered a drink and chatted with two men, Mandruks touched her intimately, prompting her to confront him.
After time in his native Latvia, he was arrested on August 31 at Leeds Bradford Airport. He had no prior record.
Defence barrister Billy Torbett called the conduct "wholly unacceptable" and an "unpleasant offence." While denying the charge, Mandruks expressed remorse for the victim's impact.
A Latvian Russian-speaker, he worked in well-paid engineering roles across Europe and was based in Hull at the time. "He has no right to remain in the UK and he plans to return to Latvia," Mr Torbett said. Mandruks had been in custody since September 2.
Judge John Thackray KC told Mandruks: "You were in a bar. Your victim was in the same bar. There was clearly some planning by you. You positioned yourself next to your victim. You were making eye contact and you were standing next to her for quite some time."
The assault left her distressed and upset. "She felt preyed upon," the judge said. "She felt powerless and unsafe. Your offending will continue to have a profound effect upon her. There was obvious targeting of your victim 20 minutes before committing the offence."
Mandruks was jailed for two years and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.