Locations
Portland Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH9
Description
A MAN crept into student accommodation and broke into a flat before sexually assaulting a woman.
The victim told her attacker, who also attempted to sexually assault a second female, he took away their right to privacy and the right to sleep without being sexually assaulted.
Akash Krishna Shrestha, 25, of Portland Road, Bournemouth, admitted sexually assaulting a woman and trespassing with the intent to sexually assault in Bournemouth in September 2021.
He appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court for sentencing on Monday, December 20.
The defendant wrote a letter to his victims, claiming his drink was spiked after a night in Cameo.
Prosecuting Andy Houston said the defendant recently graduated from Arts University Bournemouth.
The two women had been in bed since about 11pm when Shrestha crept into the building behind a group of people at around 5am.
Footage played in court showed the defendant tensing his muscles in the mirror before getting out.
Mr Houston said: [The victim] woke with the lights off, she had gone to sleep with them on.
She saw a figure standing over her in her room. She had no idea how long he had been there.
The victim tried to cover herself with the duvet when the defendant took off his trousers and underwear and got onto her bed.
She said he squashed me into the corner, started kissing me and put his hands into my knickers, the prosecutor added.
The victim eventually managed to get away and went to find a security guard.
Shrestha then went into another room and pulled the blanket off the woman.
She shouted at him and he left the room.
A victim impact statement from the first victim said: I want him to know how he has affected innocent peoples lives because he cant control himself.
I never deserved any of this.
Because he thought it was okay to trespass into an innocent persons home he took away their right to sleep safely, their right to privacy, to dignity and how about the right to sleep without being sexually assaulted?
The second victim said she dreamt of studying in Bournemouth but the defendant had ruined her experience.
Mitigating, Robert Grey read letters from the defendant to the victims where he apologised, said he was shocked by his actions and that he believed his drink was spiked.
He said this behaviour was out of character and his family describe him as kind.
Despite this, Judge Brian Forster QC sentenced Shrestha to four and a half years imprisonment with an extended licence period of five years.
He will also have to notify as a sex offender indefinitely.
Judge Forster QC said: The offences have had a considerable impact on the two victims.
They were terrified at the time that the incident took place.
What has taken place has had a very significant impact on their day to day lives.
They have understandably lost confidence.
They have trouble sleeping, they fear for their safety.