Description
A convicted sex offender forced himself on two hotel guests after he was booked into a room under a Government scheme following his release from jail.
Jamie Smart, from Stoke-on-Trent, grabbed one of the women by her breasts and put his hand up the other's victim skirt after he was rehomed at a Mercure under a programme to help the homeless during Covid.
Both victims were unaware drifter Smart was on the Sex Offender Register due to a 15-year history of sexual offending.
One is now too scared to be cuddled by her own boyfriend and has gone teetotal for fear she might be taken advantage of.
Former warehouseman Smart, 31, had been booked into the three star Wigan Oak Hotel in Greater Manchester after completing a 10-month stretch for failing to comply with the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Bolton Crown Court heard he attacked the first victim in July as they were queuing up for a buffet dinner at the hotel.
Mark Kellet, prosecuting, said: ''He was stood behind her when he slapped and groped her bottom saying: 'you've got a peachy bum!' She said: ''If you do that again, I'll slap you in the mush' but he replied: ''Do it - I might like it.'
''He then continued to touch her bottom on several occasions. Mostly she would tell him to stop but on other occasions she said nothing simply so she could avoid a confrontation.
''One night she was intoxicated when the defendant moved to kiss her. She moved away but he kissed her anyway. He also said he had sex with her and that caused her some distress.
''Three to four days later she was in the garden of the hotel when the defendant approached her from behind wrapped his arms around her and grabbed her left breast.
''She didn't say anything because she felt defenceless as they were alone together. Thereafter he acted as if he had not done anything wrong. The incident exacerbated her anxiety.''
Smart also made inappropriate sexual comments to another guest at the hotel asking her to sit on his knee and bragging he would 'show her a real man.'
She dismissed the comments as banter but when she played a pool at a nearby pub, Smart came up behind her and twice put his hand between her legs and touched her genital area.
Mr Kellet added: ''She made it clear she did not want him to do that but back at the hotel he continued to make sexual comments towards her. She said she felt horrible about how Smart touched her and felt worse when she found out he was on the Sex Offender Register.
''This defendant showed a complete disregard for the views of each victim. Both women were particularly vulnerable.''
Police later attended at the hotel and found Smart had been flouting the terms of his Sex Offender notification requirements by not registering a bank card with police.
He had 23 offences in his record starting in 2006 for sexual activity with a child for which he was given a six month detention and training order.
In 2008 he was convicted again of sexual activity with a child and was given 12 months jail suspended for two years.
In 2011 he was given 54 months in jail for two charges of sexual activity with a child and in 2015 was convicted of failing to comply with court orders for which he was locked away for two months.
In 2018 he failed to comply with the restrictions again and was given a conditional discharge for two years.
In July 2020 he admitted failing to comply and was jailed for another 10 months. He was released early but recalled back to prison for flouting the restrictions before being freed again in May to take up residence at the Mercure
In a statement the first victim said: ''I still feel physically sick about what Jamie did to me. I think about what he did most days and it has made my depression and anxiety worse.
''I am also worried he has sexually assaulted other women. I hope I can move on but I will be speaking to psychologist soon to talk about what happened.''
The second woman said: ''I am now suffering on many ways. I never been so low in terms of confidence and I am constantly scared of being around men in case they do anything to me.
''Most of my friends are male but since the incident with Jamie I've not been able to spend time with them.
''I do not drink alcohol now - not even socially- as I am so scared I will be sexually assaulted or raped. I am terrified of consuming alcohol in case I get taken advantage of. These incidents with Jamie have been on my mind on a daily basis.
'I struggle to switch off or sleep as I keep thinking about them. I also have problems with my boyfriend as I no longer want to be affectionate and I don't like being cuddled. In fact I struggle to feel relaxed around anyone,. The way Jamie took advantage of me has had a major impact on me in many ways, I'll never be able to forget what he did. I never want to see Jamie ever again.''
Smart, who grew up in Stoke-on-Trent, was jailed for nine months after he was convicted of two charges of sexual assault and failing to comply with the Sex Offender Register following a trial. He denied the charges.
He will have to abide by a new five year Sexual Harm Prevention Order which bans him from being in the company of any lone woman except when it becomes unavoidable during ''normal daily life.''
He began a relationship with his cellmate's sister whilst being held on remand.
Sentencing the judge Miss Recorder Sarah Johnston told Smart: ''One of the women felt terribly conflicted between hating what you were doing to her and not wanting any confrontation. She told you many times not to do it.
''You made disgusting and leering comments towards the second victim in a place where she was entitled to feel safe. You were impervious to her wishes and thought it was funny.
''You have invaded these women's privacy their sense of security and their sense of self. No individual should be assaulted in the way you did out of a wholly misplaced senses of entitlement. Your behaviour erodes confidence and makes women feel unsafe.
''You have no insight at all into your behaviour, the risk you pose or the boundaries within which you must operate generally as far as women are concerned. You are currently unsafe to be managed in the community.''
Smart was also banned from contacting the two victims for five years under the terms of a restraining order and will remain on the Sex Offender Register for another 10 years.
The hotel a popular wedding venue first welcomed the homeless in May last year and accommodated 50 people under the scheme run by Wigan Council and a charity. Rough sleepers were given rooms with ensuite bathroom, flatscreen TV, and complimentary tea and coffee making facilities.