A TEENAGE woman was molested in an Ipswich park as she walked her dogs, a court heard.The 18-year-old woman has been left scared to leave her home alone since the attack in Holywells Park during the summer.

A TEENAGE woman was molested in an Ipswich park as she walked her dogs, a court heard.

The 18-year-old woman has been left scared to leave her home alone since the attack in Holywells Park during the summer.

Hawkar Hassan followed the woman before grabbing her round the waist South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court heard.

Gareth Davies, prosecuting, said it was about 9am on July 10 when the woman walked her two dogs in the park.

He said: “Hassan gave her a strange look. She felt a little uneasy so she took the left-hand path to avoid him.

“She then realised he had changed his route and was following her. He caught up with her and followed her closely. He started asking her personal questions like where she lived and if she had a boyfriend.”

Mr Davies said she asked him to leave her alone but he put his arms round her hips, then held onto one of the dogs' leads and grabbed her by the shoulder.

“He put both arms round her and embraced her more tightly,” added Mr Davies.

“He was very persistent and quite overwhelming. He kept saying 'you come with me'.”

The woman managed to push him away and ran to the house of a nearby relative and telephoned the police.

Mr Davies said Hassan was originally from Iraq but was now living in Trefoil Close in Ipswich.

The 22-year-old fish factory worker who pleaded guilty to common assault said he had been killing time in the park while his car was repaired at a nearby garage.

Roger Thompson mitigating said his client was lacking in experience with the opposite sex and especially with “western women”.

He said Hassan was of previous good character and did not have any sinister intentions towards the woman.

The court heard that the woman had been left feeling “stressed and paranoid” after the attack and was frightened of being outdoors alone.

Magistrates said it had the makings of a very nasty incident. They placed Hassan on probation supervision for 12 months and curfewed him between 1am and 8am Sunday to Thursday and between 6pm on Fridays to 6am on Saturdays for six months to enable him to continue working six days a week.

Hassan was told to pay £75 compensation to the woman and £100 towards court costs.

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