Patrick Talbot sentenced to good behaviour bond for indecently assaulting young woman

A former rugby club president invited a young woman into his Paradise home then indecently assaulted her – before taunting his victim that “I got a last grab in”.

Patrick Talbot leaves the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday after he was sentenced to a good behaviour bond for indecent assault. Picture: Lucy Rutherford

A former rugby club president breached a young woman’s trust when he invited her into his house and then indecently assaulted her.

Patrick Andrew Talbot, 67, was sentenced to a good behaviour bond in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday for actions which caused fear and distress to his victim, who is more than three decades younger.

A police prosecutor told the court Talbot invited a woman to his Paradise home.

The court heard Talbot started making sexual comments after having some drinks together.

“He made a comment about my a*** … about how his marriage is failing and how he’s really horny,” the victim’s affidavit read.

“He asked me at one stage if he could h*** me, to which I said no.

“At another stage he was blunt – he was opening his legs and looking down at his crotch and saying something like ‘don’t you want to try this’."

The court heard Talbot told the victim “I want to f*** you” before he indecently assaulted her.

Patrick Talbot was sentenced to a one-year good behaviour bond in the Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture: AAP/Morgan Sette.

The police prosecutor said the victim, who had been repeatedly saying no to Talbot, then went to leave.

“He reached in with his right hand and put his hand on my left breast and said something like ‘I got a last grab in’,” the affidavit read.

The police prosecutor said it was extremely serious offending.

“The defendant had the opportunity to stop but he continued to make that vulnerable female feel particularly uncomfortable,” the police prosecutor said.

Talbot pleaded guilty to indecent assault.

Martin Anders, for Talbot, told the court his client had been abstaining from alcohol and getting help from a psychologist and psychiatrist.

“That is his reaction, that is his remorse, his contrition in the wake of these events,” he said.

The court heard Talbot was a father-of-three and was the former president of the Burnside rugby club, with an “excellent sporting history”.

“The impact this had upon his family life – hearing the allegations and that is another element of shame as a result of this grave error of judgment,” Mr Anders said.

Magistrate John Fahey said Talbot had significantly breached the victim’s trust.

“She still suffers fear and alarm about this and that's something that may be with her for a very long time,” he said.

Mr Fahey said it was a shame Talbot had lapsed into criminal offending after decades as a law-abiding citizen.

“I readily accept that you are a man of good character,” he said.

Mr Fahey sentenced Talbot to a one-year good behaviour bond of $200. A conviction was recorded.