Man who gave woman 'fireman's lift' out of Burnley club 'had sex on his mind'
10:11am Friday 1st March 2013 in News By Wendy Barlow, Court reporter
A MAN who gave a young woman a ‘fire-man’s lift’ and carried her out of a nightclub left her fearing he had sex on his mind, a court was told.
Christopher Lamont, 22, who was drunk and has previous convictions, scared his victim after he dragged her back towards the doorway and prevented her from getting away.
Prosecutor Neil White told Burnley magistrates: “Because of the way he behaved, she was extremely distressed and was worried that he was trying to force her into a sexual encounter that wasn’t going to happen.”
Lamont was arrested after his victim found him on Facebook.
The defendant, of Marlborough Street, Burnley, admitted assault by beating, last November.
He was given a 12 month conditional discharge and must pay £150 compensation.
Chairman of the bench told Lamont: “I think it might be growing up time.”
Mr White said that the victim was at Lava and Ignite club with friends around 5am. The defend-ant was there and picked her up and took her outside.
She at first thought he was perhaps just messing about, asked if he would let her go as it was raining and he dragged her back towards the door-way by the wrist.
The victim began to protest, and was becoming concerned.
He told her: “You can stay at mine tonight.”
She was frightened as he squashed her back in the doorway.
She told Lamont he was hurting her and he replied: “Oh, you want a fight ? That’s all right.”
He then stopped her from getting away. The victim was eventfully able to go towards a taxi and escape.
Sara Lyle, defending, said: “At no time did the defendant realise that the victim was upset and distressed.”
The solicitor told the court that Lamont was a genuine, hard-working man, who had been talking to the victim in the club.
She said: “From his point of view he was, in his way, having a bit of a laugh with this girl and maybe trying his luck to see if she was interested in him.
He was absolutely distraught in his police interview and quite upset she was so distressed about what happened. He is genuinely remorseful.”
