A smirking refugee groped a volunteer at a social event for asylum seekers held in a church – then asked a police officer who came to arrest him for a kiss.
After being released on bail, Ethiopian national Yousuf Musa, then confronted a mother and daughter he had never met in the street, asking for hugs.
A court heard Musa, 28, hugged the church volunteer when he first met her at the function in Northumberland but she declined his advances when he attempted to cuddle her for a second time.
Newcastle Crown Court was told that when the victim was busy helping children with activities Musa approached yet again asking if he could speak to her and leaned in as if to say something quietly when she approached.
He then sexually assaulted her while smiling and appearing to think it was ‘funny’.
The court heard that when police were called, he asked one of the officers, who arrived to arrest him, for a kiss.
Prosecutor Jemima Stephenson-Finn told the court after asking to speak to the volunteer at the event Musa ‘forcefully’ grabbed her and pulled her towards him while sexually assaulting her.
Describing the incident, Miss Stephenson-Finn said: ‘She struggled for a few seconds as he held on tightly with his arms. She felt pressure on her hip and realised it was his erect penis digging into her waist.
‘Throughout this time she was telling the defendant ‘no’ and ‘get off me’. Eventually he did let go and she told him he couldn’t do that.
Yousuf Musa was jailed for 16 months after admitting indecent assault against volunteer
‘He responded with ‘don’t you want this’ and gestured towards his genitals.’
The court heard Musa continued asking the woman ‘if you feel this too’ and making crude gestures towards his privates.
When another attendee stepped in to help the victim, Musa was smiling and Miss Stephenson-Finn added: ‘The defendant appeared to find the situation funny.
‘He again tried to grab the complainant, this time only reaching her wrist.
‘A male colleague used force to remove him from the building and he continued to hold on the complainant’s wrist.
‘He was arrested outside the church building and asked an officer for a kiss. He was placed in the back of a police vehicle then shuffled over and suggested the female police officer should come and sit with him.
‘He was smirking and moving his body around and was told to stop being disgusting.
‘The defendant was telling the officer to come back in. He said he wanted to see her and she was beautiful and he was blowing kisses through the van cell divider on his way into custody.’
Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim has been left ‘locked inside her body with anger’
In an impact statement, the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she has met 1,000 people through her volunteer work and has never before felt threatened but was frightened on that day.
She said as well as her own ‘peace and safety’ being disturbed, children at the event were left upset and worried.
The woman added that she felt robbed of her peace, enthusiasm and hobbies and ‘locked inside her body with anger she can’t escape from’.
The court heard Musa was released from police custody the following morning and bumped into a family who were out shopping.
Miss Stephenson-Finn said Musa repeatedly asked the mother and daughter for hugs until the husband had to step in and pull him away.
The family said the confrontation was ‘terrifying’ and they were left in fear of what the stranger might do next.
Musa, of Ashington, Northumberland, admitted sexual assault, two of assault by beating and one of threatening behaviour.
Mr Recorder Andrew Haslam KC said Musa has been assessed as a ‘high risk of serious harm to others’ and sentenced him to 16 months behind bars with restraining orders to protect the victims.
Musa was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for ten years.
Sentencing, the judge said: ‘People like her give up their own time to help you and you rewarded her hard efforts by sexually assaulting and assaulting her.’
Tony Cornberg, defending, pleaded for Musa to be spared jail.
He said the defendant, who has spent time in custody on remand, could be rehabilitated in the community and wants to work for a living.
Details of the defendant’s immigration status and whether he will face deportation were not revealed.
