A man arrested for threatening to stab people in Swindon grabbed a police officer’s genitals whilst in custody, a court heard.
Rafael Cardosa, 34, appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court this morning charged with sexual assault, criminal damage, threatening words and behaviour and being drunk and disorderly in a public place. He pleaded guilty to the allegations.
Crown prosecutor Graham Dono said a man called 999 when his vehicle was punched and struck as he drove down Wood Street, in Old Town, at around 3pm on Friday (28 May).
The defendant, of Theobold Street, also threatened to stab and kill people in the area.
Police officers arrived at the scene and located Cardosa, who was described as “clearly intoxicated”. He was abusive to officers before being arrested and taken to custody.
Whilst in Gablecross custody suite’s holding area, he grabbed hold of an officer’s genitals over his trousers before saying “I did it because he has a big d**k”.
During an interview, he told officers he had no memory of the incident but admitted he must have committed the alleged offences.
Mr Dono told the court the defendant is currently on two suspended sentence orders – both breached as a result of today’s admissions.
Defending, Mark Glendenning said his client had drunk a bottle of vodka in the early hours of that morning before deciding to go for a ride on his bicycle.
He said Cardosa had little specific recollection but recalls that the car driver – travelling the wrong way down a one-way street – had not given the appropriate amount of room whilst passing him – resulting in anger.
The defendant was joking around when he grabbed the officers testicles, “but clearly it’s not a joke and he accepts that”, Mr Glendenning commented.
Cardosa accepted he has an alcohol problem and has managed to significantly reduce his intake with the support of Turning Point.
Magistrates activated his 12-week suspended prison sentence but reduced it to eight weeks after taking into account his early guilty pleas for these four matters. They also imposed a further six weeks imprisonment for the criminal damage, threatening behaviour and drunk and disorderly offences.
He was ordered to pay £75 compensation to the police officer who he sexually assaulted. There was no separate penalty.
