24 November 2022, 13:13 | Updated: 24 November 2022, 13:33
Northampton Magistrates Court.
Picture: Alamy
A man who threw condoms filled with bodily fluids at schoolgirls from his mobility scooter has been given a suspended sentence.
Donald Holdsworth, 57, also put a pair of women’s knickers and a used condom and on coke bottles in a local grocers.
Holdsworth admitted assault and contaminating goods when he appeared at Northampton Magistrates court on Tuesday, November 22, and was sentenced to a total of 24 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months.
The court heard Holdsworth, of Corby, Northamptonshire, threw a condom at a young girl in a local park on June 30, the Northampton Chronicle and Echo reported.
Prosecutor Sukhy Singh said: “A girl was walking with a friend when a man on a red mobility scooter threw an item towards her filled with liquid she thought was urine.
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“The incident made her cry and she was obviously distressed as a result of what happened.”
Holdsworth struck again on August 20 when he did a ‘drive-by’ past two girls who were walking in town along Corporation Street.
Mr Singh said Holdsworth threw a condom filled with a “brown liquid” from his mobility scooter hitting one of the girls on the leg.
On July 10 Holdsworth entered a food shop and left a pair of women’s knickers on a multipack of Pepsi.
Mr Singh said a shop worker also found a used condom on bargain bottles of 89p cola, which caused her “alarm and distress”.
Due to Covid precautions, the shop assistant was wearing protective gloves and so avoided direct contact with the condom.
Mr Singh added: “The incident caused her anxiety and told one of her managers what she had experienced caused her alarm – ‘thankfully I was using gloves so I didn’t touch the semen. The incident made me physically sick’.”
Holdsworth was arrested and told police officers: “I’m usually good, boys. I’ve never done anything like this before”.
However, the court heard he later admitted he done it about four times before.
Judge Amar Mehta told him: “It’s very concerning that somebody rides around a town throwing condoms at teenage girls.
“In your own words you acted in a ‘stupid way’. This court couldn’t agree more. Nobody deserves to have other people’s bodily excretions on them.”
Addressing the condom found in the shop, the judge added: “There can be no doubt it was filled with semen. A member of the public or a child could have put their hand on it – it is disrespectful, gross behaviour, disgusting behaviour.”
Baljit Garcha, defending, said: “He has no explanation why he did it. He regrets his actions and expressed remorse. There might have been some sexual gratification.”
Holdsworth was also ordered to take part in 30 days of rehabilitation, pay a total of £239 in costs and give £50 to the three girls he attacked with condoms.
He was also ordered to pay £25 compensation to Heron Foods, who were forced to withdraw cola drink bottles from sale following the incidents.