A master’s student was working his first shift at the bar of Cardiff University students’ union when he sexually assaulted a young woman. While walking through the crowded venue Amit Patil suddenly reached under the customer’s skirt and groped her over her underwear.
Patil, who has since graduated from the university in data science and analytics, denied the sexual assault but was found guilty at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court. The 26-year-old attacked the victim last summer at the end of his first shift at the bar in Park Place. He denied there was any physical contact at all but Deputy District Judge Gareth Williams said his “implausible” claims were undermined by the CCTV footage and the victim’s “credible” account.
Patil, of Howard Gardens in Cardiff, told the court he grew up in India and moved to the Welsh capital in 2023 for his master’s. On the night of the incident he had been doing “restocking” work at the bar and had not been drinking himself, he said. “My shift ended and I wanted to go home so I left the storeroom and walked through the main room,” he added.
Robert Chudleigh, defending, asked his client if there was any physical contact as he passed the woman. Patil replied: “No. I don’t think so. I don’t remember…” He then tailed off and the judge asked him to repeat the end of his sentence. Patil said: “There was no contact.” Asked if he was certain he replied: “Yes.” He also claimed he did not see her as they passed each other.
Patil said that after he passed the woman he felt her grab his shoulders from behind. He claimed he was confused as to why she did this. Patil was then cross-examined by prosecutor Alex Dubljevic who asked: “It was quite a crowded room wasn’t it? So to make your way around you would have to look where you were going. Why didn’t you see her?” He replied: “In my thought I just wanted to go home.”
Mr Dubljevic went on: “I’m going to put it to you that you were walking out of the bar, you saw this pretty girl with a short skirt, and something went through your mind. You decided to touch her vagina. You took an opportunity as you thought you would get away with it because it was dark and there was loud music.”
The prosecutor accused Patil of placing his hand under the victim’s skirt and putting two fingers onto her underwear. He said Patil’s fingers then “ran up”. Patil replied: “No, I did not do anything. My only thought was to go home.” After the assault the victim immediately turned around and confronted Patil. Police then arrived and arrested him.
Mr Chudleigh pointed out his client had no criminal convictions. He also asked the judge to consider that the victim “may have been weary” after a long day and had drunk six or seven alcoholic drinks. “She conceded that alcohol being in her system may have had an impact on her recollection of events,” said the solicitor.
Judge Williams described the victim, who had given evidence the previous day, as a “credible and truthful” witness. “She recalled events with clarity and was not hazed by alcohol consumption,” he said. “She was sure in the answers she gave.”
The CCTV did not clearly show the sexual assault itself but the judge said it showed there was enough space for Patil to pass the victim without going so close to her. He added that Patil had failed to explain why the victim immediately turned around and reacted with anger after he passed her.
Judge Williams was unimpressed by Patil’s decision to give a no-comment interview to police. Patil had claimed this was partly because there was no Hindi interpreter available. The judge said: “I accept English is not your first language but you have answered questions today in English and it appears to me you have followed the trial with relative ease. Your evidence is not credible.
“She described a deliberate upward movement of your fingers over her genital area. She categorically stated the touching was not accidental. The upward movement is indicative of a deliberate action. It is not possible that could happen by accident or chance.”
Patil showed no emotion as the judge found him guilty of sexual assault. His solicitor told the court that Patil’s visa expires this month. “His plan was to return to India at that point but he recognises the authority of the court and wouldn’t seek to leave the jurisdiction.” Judge Williams adjourned the case to next month for a pre-sentence report to gather more information about Patil.
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