'˜Skirt-fiddler' avoids jail after attacking teenage girl walking alone in Portsmouth

A '˜SKIRT-FIDDLER' who punched a teenage girl in the face while she was walking alone at night in Portsmouth was spared prison '“ despite his crimes having activated a suspended jail sentence.
The 'skirt-fiddler' has been sentencedThe 'skirt-fiddler' has been sentenced
The 'skirt-fiddler' has been sentenced

Sebastian Varoadi, 40, approached the 17-year-old Highbury College student as she walked along Fratton Road to meet her friends in July.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard how the defendant went up behind the teenager and started touching her dress before she realised what was happening.

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'˜The girl was aware the defendant was behind her and getting close while pushing his pedal cycle,' prosecutor Paul Farley said.

'˜He then started touching and fiddling with her skirt. After realising what was happening she then struck out at the defendant, who then reacted by punching her in the face.

'˜The defendant also kicked out at her mobile phone which fell to the floor causing her screen to smash.'

Varoadi, of Fratton Road, Portsmouth, pleaded guilty to assault by beating and criminal damage '“ offences which activated a 12-month jail term suspended for 24 months after he had brandished a knife and cut his wife on the back of her hand in 2016.

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Speaking of the first incident, Mr Farley said: '˜This was a domestic incident involving his common law wife where he had a knife and was waving it around. It resulted in a cut to the back of the victim's hand.'

He added that the skirt incident happened three months before the end of the suspended sentence.

Judge Robert Hill admitted that '˜normally you would go to prison for these offences especially when they are for violence'.

But he decided to take a different course of action after learning that bricklayer Varoadi was about to start a job.

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Judge Hill concluded: '˜Do I want to put a man in prison who has a job or do I give someone a chance? I will give you a chance but it is very much the last-chance saloon.

'˜If you come back to court for anything that you may regard as low-level drunken nonsense then the court are still likely to take it very seriously.'

Instead of jail, Varoadi was fined £900, ordered to pay compensation of £200 and told to pay costs of £620.