An Illawarra man who groped a young female cafe worker twice in two days has launched an audacious appeal to have his conviction for the offences wiped from his criminal record.
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Chady Georges, who works for NSW Health in patient transport, admitted grabbing the young woman on the breasts then slapping her on the bum in two separate incidents on consecutive days in July last year.
He was arrested and charged with two counts of sexually touching a person without consent.
He plead guilty to the offences in Port Kembla Local Court in October.
Magistrate Susan McGowan recorded criminal convictions against Georges in both matters and sentenced him to a 12-month community correction order and a $1,000 fine.
However, Georges has since launched an appeal against the sentence, claiming it was "too severe".
During a preliminary hearing in Wollongong District Court late last year, Georges' lawyer indicated his client was seeking to have the convictions wiped from his record.
"You think for this type of offending, no conviction should be recorded?" Acting Judge Paul Conlon said, while casting doubt over the merits of Georges' appeal.
However he agreed to adjourn the case to the end of January for Georges' legal team to gather additional material to support their case, which the court heard would include letters from both Georges and his wife.
A set of agreed facts tendered during the Local Court proceedings, and which prosecutors will rely upon for the appeal, said Georges was a regular customer at the cafe and was known to make "regular dirty jokes" and "sexually inappropriate remarks" towards both the male and female staff.
The victim told police she had always ignored the comments or laughed them off.
She said she was working on the morning of July 18 when Georges arrived at the shop for his daily coffee.
He waited outside with another customer while she made both their takeaway orders. As she walked outside with the drinks, Georges approached her and said "I'll grab those for you" and "more milk", then grabbed her breasts with both hands and squeezed them tightly.
The victim said she could feel Georges' fingers digging into her flesh.
She pulled back and said to him "don't put your f--king hands on me, don't touch me" and walked past him towards the other customer.
She said Georges tried to approach her again and she was worried he may try to grope her a second time, so she kicked out at him and again said "don't touch me".
She handed the coffees to the other customer and returned inside.
Georges left the cafe but returned the following day. The victim said he walked behind the coffee machine when he arrived and hugged another staff member, at the same time reaching out with his left hand to slap the victim's bottom.
He then stuck his middle finger up at her as he continued hugging the other staff member.
The victim said "what makes you think you can do that?"
However Georges ignored her and started talking to the chef, saying "this crazy bitch, calling me a paedophile".
Georges left a short time later after receiving his coffee order.
The woman reported the incident to police on July 22, saying she felt "violated" by the assaults.
Georges was arrested two days later and taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station. He refused to take part in an interview with detectives.
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