Charity donation Pub groper spared conviction for assault on two women on same night

Nourden Belarbi pleaded guilty to assaulting two women in a pub (Photo: Collins Courts)

Andrew Phelan

February 03 2021 03:26 PM

A GROPER who sexually assaulted two women in a Dublin bar has walked free from court with no criminal record, after making a €100 charity donation.

Nourden Belarbi (32) was chased away by the first victim when he grabbed her breast, then had a drink thrown over him by the second woman when he groped her bottom.

The first woman saw what happened to the second and went to tell her she too had been assaulted, before alerting security.

He was spared recorded criminal convictions after Judge Colin Daly dismissed sexual assault charges under the Probation of Offenders Act at Dublin District Court today.

The €100 was paid to the Rape Crisis Centre.

Belarbi a former Algerian soldier with an address at Grace Park Gardens, Drumcondra, Dublin, had pleaded guilty.

The court heard the incidents happened at a pub in the north of the city on October 14, 2018. Neither of the victims knew the accused.

Earlier this week, Judge Daly read a probation report and said Belarbi was described as being at the lowest possible risk for this type of offending, and as having "learned a valuable lesson."

The accused had lost his job initially but was now working again, as warehouse operative, his solicitor Colleen Gildernew said.

At a previous hearing, the court was told the first woman (41) was out socialising with friends when she was approached by the accused.

He proceeded to grab her breast and she became upset and chased him away.

Belarbi then went to another area in the same pub and approached the second victim (30).

He grabbed this woman on her bottom and this victim became upset and threw a drink over the accused, the court heard.

The first victim observed what happened and approached the second woman andtold her “she too had been assaulted," a garda sergeant said.

The woman approached security staff and told them Belarbi had sexually assaulted her. One of the security staff had witnessed the first assault and contacted the gardai.

Belarbi was escorted to the front door and the gardai arrived.

The court heard both victims had alcohol taken but were not intoxicated, while Belarbi was “slightly intoxicated” at the time.

Judge Daly said victim impact statements were "very hard-hitting and eloquent" and the women were "very severely affected by what happened."

Belarbi was "incredibly apologetic" and "felt badly" about what happened, Ms Gildernew said.

The accused had come to Ireland from Algeria, where he had spent much of his adult life in the army, Ms Gildernew said. He had been treated for PTSD after leaving the army and was granted asylum here.