‘Accidentally fell’: Council worker Andrew Peter Philp‘s pathetic excuse for breast grope

A council worker has claimed an accidental “fall” may have caused him to slide his hand down a woman‘s shirt and grope her breast.

Ipswich Courthouse. Picture: Cordell Richardson

A Maranoa council worker has given a pathetic excuse as to why he groped a woman, a court has heard.

Roma labourer Andrew Peter Philp, 44, pleaded guilty in Ipswich District Court on October 20, 2022, to two counts of sexual assault and three counts of indecent treatment of children under 16.

The court heard Philp had inappropriately touched a teenage girl, over the clothing, some years ago, and that he had told her he loved her on one occasion.

When interviewed by police, Philp admitted to having a conversation with the girl about a potential sexual relationship between them, but said he would not have gone further without her consent.

The court heard Philp also sexually assaulted a woman who was in her twenties by putting his hand down her shirt and grabbing her breast.

Crown prosecutor Andreas Galloway said Philp told police he had been “playing or mucking around”, and later said “it might have been an accident” and that he “fell”.

Judge Dennis Lynch noted Philp has been laughing at the time and said that it “was perhaps foolhardiness on [his] part or an attempt at humour”.

Mr Galloway said Philp had a dated but relevant criminal history, as he had been sentenced to two years probation in 2002 for indecent treatment of a child under 16 under 12, in which he kissed a 10-year-old boy and touched his privates.

Defence barrister Jens Streit said Philp had significant learning difficulties and shared carers responsibilities for his father with his twin sister.

Judge Lynch noted Philp had been employed by the Maranoa Regional Council for “a significant period of time” and that his supervisor spoke highly of him.

“The court might be inclined to regard your intellectual difficulties as reducing your moral culpability,” he said.

“Given that this is the second time you’ve been before the court for similar offending, there remains a need for the sentence to address the question of personal deterrence.”

For his offending against the teenage girl, Philp was sentenced to 12 months of imprisonment, to be suspended after three months of actual custody for an operational period of 3 years.

For the additional sexual assault charge, he was further sentenced to 18 months probation, and convictions were recorded.

Philp was shaking with tears as he was escorted from the courtroom to be taken into custody.