Central west farmer sentenced for sexually touching woman

A 68-year-old man who forced his way into a woman’s home made groaning noises as he repeatedly kissed her without consent and demanded cuddles.

The man leaves Orange Local Court. Picture: Ryan Young

An elderly farmer who forced his way into a woman’s home in the state’s central west and repeatedly kissed her without her consent has been spared time behind bars.

According to court documents, the 68-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, knocked on the woman’s door and kitchen window at 1am on June 13.

When the woman opened the door to ask what was wrong, the man forced the door open and told her to turn off the lights.

“I just want to cuddle you, I just want to hug you, I just want to be with you,” the man said before he started to cuddle the woman.

After the woman hugged the man back, he kissed her on the cheek three times before he planted his lips on the right side of her neck.

The woman asked him to stop twice and tried to pull away, however he grabbed her hand to keep her close and she suffered pain and bruising.

The man fronted Orange Local Court. Picture: Dylan Robinson

While the man had hold of the woman he tried to walk her into a bedroom however she resisted and he let go before he kissed on the cheek numerous times and made groaning noises.

The woman said “stop … that is enough you need to go” and the man apologised.

“You haven’t done anything wrong, I will go now,” he said.

The man pleaded guilty to one count of sexual touching without consent when he appeared in Orange Local Court on Friday.

Defence lawyer Andrew Kelly said there was no suggestion the man touched the woman in any “private bodily area”.

“We submit that it was an isolated incident,” Mr Kelly told the court.

“He’s had 45 years of being of otherwise good character.”

Magistrate David Day said the man had preyed on a vulnerable victim.

“There was skin to skin touching, although not in the chest, buttocks or pubic area,” he said.

If the man had touched the woman in any of those areas he would have been sent to jail, magistrate Day told the court.

The man was convicted, placed on a community corrections order for two years and fined $550.