Glenn Darren Roche charged with sexually touching teen in southwest Sydney
A civilian police employee accused of touching a teenage girl in a train station lift says he had no intention of scaring or upsetting the girl, who alleges the Lansvale man squeezed her breast twice.
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A civilian police employee accused of sexually touching a teenage girl in Sydney’s southwest says he had no intention of scaring or upsetting the girl after giving her a kiss and hug as a farewell at the end of a day trip.
NSW Police Force communications operator Glenn Darren Roche, 53, is accused of squeezing the side of the 13-year-old’s left breast twice while hugging her from behind inside a lift at a train station.
The Lansvale man has pleaded not guilty to intentionally sexually touch child (between 10 years and 16 years) and common assault.
During a hearing at Liverpool Local Court, a police interview with Mr Roche was played in which he said he had no intention of “scaring or upsetting” the young girl.
The court previously heard the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had been out on a day trip to Sydney with her mum and two younger sisters, Mr Roche and his wife, and another friend.
Police allege the incident occurred when the group returned from the city and got off at a train station.
Mr Roche’s defence counsel had submitted at the start of the hearing in February that the incident was part of a game involving the complainant and her siblings.
In his interview with police, Mr Roche said as the group parted ways he gave the complainant’s younger sister a hug and kiss on the cheek and said goodbye.
He also gave the complainant’s mum and youngest sister a farewell hug and thanked them for the day.
Mr Roche said he noticed the complainant had gone into the lift and when he “jumped” into it to say goodbye to her, she appeared “concerned”.
After putting his hands on her “midsection” and giving her a kiss on the cheek, Mr Roche said the girl then “let her body weight fall in my arms”, which “surprised me greatly”.
He told investigators it was then he “should have realised her desire for me not to kiss her on the cheek”.
“I remember kissing her on the right cheek and I said that’s all I wanted to do,” he said.
Mr Roche said his wife received a phone call from the girl’s mother later that night and was told the girl was now scared.
“(The girl’s mother) said she is scared and upset now and I instantly showed remorse,” he said.
“I said I’m sorry. I had no intent of scaring or upsetting your daughter.”
Mr Roche said in subsequent conversations between his wife and the girl’s mother, the latter indicated her daughter had not wanted to go to school since the alleged incident.
He told investigators he was “not a guy that wants to upset” children.
The complainant’s younger sister also gave evidence, telling the court her sister looked “so scared” and “so pale” after the alleged incident in the lift.
CCTV footage was played in court showing the group parting ways at the station concourse that evening.
In cross-examination, Mr Roche’s barrister Greg Heathcote submitted to the complainant’s sister that after Mr Roche kissed her goodbye, it became a game and she wanted her sister to get caught and be kissed by him.
The complainant’s sister said she was laughing at the time but refuted his submission.
The court also heard evidence from the complainant’s mother, who broke down in tears while testifying.
She told the court she observed Mr Roche running into the lift and trying to follow her eldest daughter.
“I was very shocked to hear my daughter screaming in the lift, ‘no, no, no’.”
She told the court she noticed her daughter looked “so shaky” and “very pale” after getting off the lift, and was told that night by her daughter that Mr Roche had allegedly touched her breast.
The girl’s mother told the court she asked Mr Roche on the phone that night why he approached her daughter.
“He told me that he didn’t touch her, [he only hugged] to say goodbye,” she said.
The hearing continues.