Bottom slapper must pay victims

A FAILSWORTH man who was warned he could face jail for slapping a woman on her bottom has avoided custody.

Wayne Coley (37) was convicted of two "disturbing" incidents at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court yesterday.

District Judge Khalid Qureshi sentenced him to two concurrent 18-month community orders for sexual assault and assault by beating.

Coley, of Old Road, will also be put on the sex offenders notification register for five years and must undergo a rehabilitation requirement of up to 30 days' supervision.

At the time of the first offence, the woman, then aged 34, was standing with her partner on the approach road at Manchester Piccadilly when she was slapped.

Coley gave his victim a "chilling" stare following the sexual assault on September 4 this year.

Tess Kenyon, prosecuting, said: "The witness said in her statement "He looked me in the eye - it was a chilling stare and quite demeaning. It left me shocked and frightened."

"A police officer who was passing saw the assault."

In the second offence, the following day, Coley was convicted of "grabbing" a 25-year-old woman by the shoulder after she got off a bus in the city centre.

Miss Kenyon said: "She pushed him away before making off down Oldham Road towards family members. She and her father saw him on a nearby street and guided police to him."

On May 7, 2015, Coley was given a one-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, for possessing an image portraying a person performing an act of intercourse with a live snake.

The prosecution said: "This conviction was dealt with in May this year.

"There were no incidents over the course of the year so it has come to an end."

David Philpott, defending, said there have been concerns over Coley's mental health though his meetings with a mental health team have reduced.

"On September 4 and 5, he seems to have been far from a right and proper condition but it looks as though things are improving," Mr Philpott said.

Coley, who receives universal credit benefit, was ordered to pay £200 to each of his victims in £5 weekly installments.