Busselton man Jack William Simpson-Germain avoids jail over indecent assault of woman followed from bus stop

A 25-year-old man has avoided jail for following a woman from a bus stop and indecently assaulting her before he was ultimately stopped by a passerby.

Jack William Simpson-Germain appeared in Bunbury Magistrate’s Court via videolink from Bunbury Regional Prison on Thursday where he was placed on a conditional suspended imprisonment order and an intensive supervision order after previously pleading guilty to a number of charges.

The charges included unlawful and indecent assault, two counts of indecent act with intent to insult or offend another person, two counts of stealing, breaching a family violence restraining order, possessing drug paraphernalia and disorderly behaviour in a police station or lockup.

The court was told a woman was waiting at a bus stop in Busselton after finishing work on May 9 when she was followed through the streets by Simpson-Germain.

As Simpson-Germain followed and tried to start a conversation with her, the woman expressed concern to her brother, with whom she was on the phone to at the time.

Simpson-Germain continued asking the woman questions such as “do you want me?” and “do you like my skin colour” before stopping in front of her and pulling her in towards him saying “what do I have to do to get you” as he pushed up against her and put one arm around her and placed a hand on her buttock.

As the woman tried to break free, a person known to her driving in the area witnessed the assault and yelled out to Simpson-Germain, allowing the woman to break free.

Simpson-Germain continued walking towards the carpark of a nearby store when he called out to another woman before exposing himself to her.

He was later walking inside the Busselton Boulevard Shopping Centre when he called out to yet another woman before exposing himself to her.

Simpson-Germain later walked into Coles where he shoplifted a bag of grocery items from the store.

Upon his arrest that evening, Simpson-Germain yelled profanities while in a holding cell and spat at the glass separating him from the arresting offices.

Several days prior, Simpson-Germain breached a family violence restraining order by attending Alby’s, where his ex-partner was attending with her new partner at the time.

As Simpson-Germain asked the new partner for a cigarette, he realised his ex-partner was in the same vicinity and proceeded to try to have a conversation with her, despite being asked to leave.

The court was told Simpson-Germain had previously been placed on an intensive supervision order for an assault charge that stemmed from a verbal argument that turned physical with another man.

It was submitted that Simpson-Germain had no memory of indecent assault or exposing himself to other women due to being intoxicated due to alcohol abuse at the time.

It was submitted that Simpson-Germain had abstained from alcohol and drug use since being arrested and charged, and that he had previously been engaging with the requirements of his supervision order prior to reoffending.

While Magistrate Michelle Harries accepted Simpson-Germain was sorry for his offending and was embarrassed by it, she expressed concern about the indecent assault.

“It would have been frightening for the victim and I can’t imagine what might have happened if that person that knew her wasn’t there to intervene,” she said.

Simpson-Germain was handed a seven-month prison term that was conditionally suspended for 12 months with supervision and program requirements and was placed on another 12-month intensive supervision order to run concurrently with the suspended prison term.

He was also fined $500 for the shoplifting and drug paraphernalia possession charges.