Liam Charlton - the Burghfield Common shoplifter who targeted Theale Co-op - ordered to sign Sex Offenders Register

A PRISONER managed to sexually assault a woman even while he was detained by police.

The serial thief and burglar took advantage while he was in custody, leaving his victim distressed and doubting herself, Reading Crown Court heard on Friday, April 11.

In the dock was Liam Charlton, who has more than 80 previous convictions.

The 42-year-old, of Padworth Road, Burghfield Common, had been arrested for yet more shoplifting, in defiance of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) and a suspended prison sentence.

Charlton admitted shoplifting twice from the Co-op in Theale, once in March last year and again last November.

Police recognised him from CCTV footage and arrested him.

Charlton was in custody as a result when he committed the sexual assault.

Hassan Baig, prosecuting, screened CCTV footage from inside a police station which showed what happened next.

Baig is seen repeatedly touching his victim, tentatively at first, and then more forcefully, cupping her buttocks.

The woman said in a victim impact statement: “I felt emotional when I got home; I was worried I had done something to encourage him.”

She was now “hypervigilant” when dealing with detainees, added the woman.

Charlton initially denied sexually touching the woman, knowing she was not consenting, on January 16.

But he subsequently changed his mind and pleaded guilty.

Elisabeth McDonald, defending, said her client now expressed “significant remorse” for the sexual assault.

She described that offence as “out of character,” as none of Charlton’s previous convictions were sexual in nature.

Ms McDonald conceded Charlton had struggled with alcohol and heroin addiction but said he was now even clean of [the prescribed heroin substitute] methadone.

She suggested Charlton could be dealt with by another suspended sentence and concluded: “In my respectful submission, he has been using his time in custody wisely.”

The judge, Recorder Alexander McGregor, said: “This sort of sexual offence is one the courts hugely deprecate.

“You touched her a number of times, including cupping her buttock.

“It was clearly unacceptable and out of order.”

He said Charlton had twice breached a suspended sentence order and CBO imposed for burglary and countless instances of shoplifting, and had shown “poor compliance” with other court orders.

Recorder McGregor declined to impose another suspended sentence and sentenced him to 27 months imprisonment.

Half of that will be served in custody and the remainder on licence in the community.

In addition, Charlton was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.

Finally, he was required to pay a statutory victim services surcharge.