A MAN who hoodwinked a village community broke in to a woman’s home and sexually assaulted her whilst she slept in her own bed next to her boyfriend.
Following a trial, Suroj Bk was convicted on April 19 of charges of sexual assault and knowingly trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence.
27-year-old Bk was found to have broken in to a woman’s home in Llangrannog in the early hours of October 7, 2023, as sexually assaulted her as she slept next to her boyfriend
In a statement read to the court by prosecutor Georgia Donohue, the victim said the impact of the assault had caused her to leave Llangrannog and also quit her job.
She added that she had become isolated as a result of the incident.
“She still struggles with graphic nightmares of the assault,” Ms Donohue said.
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Bk had argued that he was in the room but did not touch the victim.
“This was a case were this complainant said she saw a figure in the room, not Mr Bk himself,” said Dyfed Thomas, in mitigation.
Mr Thomas said Bk had been celebrating a milestone in his immigration application on the night in question.
“On this one occasion, he got drunk and did something stupid,” he said.
He said that Bk, of Llangrannog, had no previous convictions and several positive character references.
“People speak of his good work, both in Nepal and India, and here in Wales,” Mr Thomas said.
He said the defendant had suffered “a spectacular fall from grace”.
“Through no fault of their own, two young children and their mother will suffer,” Mr Thomas said.
“There are a number of people at home in Nepal who were reliant on him sending money home.”
Addressing the defendant, Judge Paul Thomas KC said: “It’s clear to me, having heard the evidence in this trial, that on that night you had far too much to drink. In your drunkenness, at three o’clock in the morning you went in to [the victim’s] home with the intent of sexually assaulting her.
“For a long time you didn’t even admit that you entered her house.”
Judge Thomas said Bk’s accounts had been inconsistent and that his evidence was “one of the most implausible defences I have heard in some time”.
“As the jury found, it was palpably false,” he said.
“The impact on [the victim] of being sexually assaulted in her own bed at three in the morning has been profound.
“It is of great concern to me that her position has been made much worse, apparently, by those in the local community who have been taken in by your superficial charm whilst sober.
“Anyone at Llangrannog who still thinks that [the victim] had made this up is either totally blinkered or incredibly gullible.
“That said, I accept there is another side to you – what I might call your public face. You are a man of clean character and you are clearly extremely well thought of in the community. Though I expect that most have only seen the positive, sober side.”
Bk was jailed for a total of three years and six months, and his victim was granted a five-year restraining order against him. The defendant must register as a sex offender indefinitely.
“Whether you will be allowed to remain in the country afterwards will be a matter for others,” Judge Thomas said.
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