A solicitor provoked outrage in court after claiming a female victim of sexual assault would have ‘forgotten all about it in two or three days’.
Raj Chopra was ticked off for making ‘shocking and offensive’ remarks by presiding magistrate Amanda Parker, a former High Sheriff, and forced to apologise.
Mr Chopra was defending Mohammed Akhtar at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court, who had pleaded guilty to indecent assault at a swimming pool.
Akhtar, 50, had admitted touching the woman on the buttock and thigh as she climbed down the ladder into the pool at Mercer Hall, Great Harwood, Lancashire.
In his mitigation speech, Mr Chopra said: ‘It was a brief incident and these things are forgotten about in two or three days.’
Raj Chopra (pictured) was ticked off for making ‘shocking and offensive’ remarks today
But Mrs Parker, who served as High Sheriff of Lancashire in 2015-16 after being appointed by the Queen, said: ‘Mr Chopra’s comment about people forgetting about these offences in two or three days was shocking.’
Enza Geldard, prosecuting, added: ‘It is a shame the victim isn’t in court to respond to the defence suggestion she would forget about it in two or three days.’
Addressing the solicitor directly, Mrs Parker said: ‘You made a comment which was offensive which the prosecution has already picked up on.’
Mr Chopra apologised for the comment.
The solicitor made the controversial remarks as he presented details of a probation report which found Akhtar was at ‘low risk of further offending’.
Akhtar, 50, had admitted touching the woman on the buttock and thigh as she climbed down the ladder into the pool at Mercer Hall, Great Harwood, Lancashire (pictured)
He said the father of five was deeply ashamed and embarrassed by his appearance in court but said an application for him to be banned from any swimming baths where females were present would be ‘draconian’.
During the hearing, Mrs Parker sentenced Akhtar, from Accrington, to a 12-month community order, a rehabilitation course, and alcohol treatment.
He was ordered to pay £150 compensation and £85 costs, excluded from all swimming baths in Lancashire for 12 months and placed on the sex offender’s register for two years.
Speaking after the hearing, Mr Chopra, 60, from Handforth, in Cheshire, who is believed to be married with a grown-up son, defended his remarks, claiming: ‘It was a slip of the tongue.’
He added: ‘Being a woman, the chair of the bench took offence. I profusely apologised – it was a general comment and was not specifically addressed to the victim. If anyone was offended by these remarks, I am sorry.’
The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, could not be reached for comment.