The Magistrate, Bridget Shaw, said that she wanted the defendant, Luis Sousa Rebelo (26), of the Parade, to work with the Probation Service to identify what is and what is not acceptable behaviour toward women.
The court was told by police legal adviser Advocate Carla Carvalho that the victim was walking along Hill Street on 27 September when she was approached by the defendant. He started to talk to her and made a gesture with his hand toward her that caused her to feel uncomfortable. The court was told that as she started to walk away, he grabbed hold of her shoulder. Advocate Carvalho said that the woman spoke to another unknown male because she was frightened and wanted to deter the defendant. The court heard that her husband turned up moments later and they left the area together.
Rebelo pleaded guilty to using words that were threatening or likely to cause alarm or distress and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.
Advocate Sarah Dale, defending, said that the hand gesture was the defendant showing the woman ‘a magic trick’. The lawyer said that Rebelo had recognised the woman as a friend of a friend. ‘He was outside Chambers at the time, saw her coming and recognised her, so he started a conversation with her,’ said the lawyer. However, she said that in hindsight the defendant accepted that the gesture would have caused the woman some distress. Advocate Dale said that Rebelo was somewhat naive in his thinking.
In sentencing, Mrs Shaw said: ‘I am concerned about the effect your actions would have had on a woman on her own at that time of night. I think she would have been very frightened indeed.’
She said that a background report prepared on Rebelo showed that he was prone to minimise the seriousness of his behaviour, so she wanted the Probation department to work with him to change his behaviour.
