DAVID HARTWELL AT GATWICK AIRPORT ESCAPES PRISON DESPITE SEXUAL ASSAULTS ON TEENAGERS
In a recent case heard at Croydon Crown Court, David Hartwell, a former restaurant manager at Gatwick Airport, was convicted of sexually assaulting two teenage girls but was ultimately spared a prison sentence.The court proceedings revealed disturbing details about Hartwell's actions, which took place between September 2009 and August 2010, involving multiple young victims.
Hartwell, aged 26 at the time of sentencing, hails from New Malden, Surrey.
His arrest in August 2010 followed a report from one of the victims, who confided in her sister about the assault.
She described how Hartwell had exposed himself to her and solicited a sex act.
Further investigation uncovered DNA evidence linking Hartwell to the victim, specifically found on the inside of her bra, which substantiated her account.
Following his arrest, police expanded their inquiry, and additional allegations emerged from five other girls who came forward with similar accounts of inappropriate conduct by Hartwell.
The case was brought to trial last month, where a jury delivered majority verdicts of guilty on two counts of sexual assault, each involving a different girl.
However, Hartwell was acquitted of nine other counts of sexual assault and two counts of attempted sexual touching.
The jury was unable to reach a verdict on one additional count, which will now be filed away, and the court also issued formal not guilty verdicts on two more charges.
Throughout the trial, it was disclosed that Hartwell had previously attempted to plead guilty to five of the original 16 charges, but these pleas were rejected by the court.
The judge, Jeremy Gold QC, acknowledged the seriousness of the case and the gravity of the offenses committed when Hartwell was 24 years old.
The victims, both around 16 and 17 years old, were significantly younger than Hartwell, which added to the severity of the misconduct.
Despite the convictions, Justice Gold decided against imposing a custodial sentence.
Instead, he ordered Hartwell to participate in a sex offender rehabilitation program for three years, placed him under a 36-month supervision order, and mandated a six-month curfew from 9 pm to 6 am, enforced through an electronic tagging system.
Additionally, Hartwell was required to pay prosecution costs amounting to £1,200.
The judge noted that Hartwell's previous good character was a mitigating factor but emphasized the importance of ensuring that his attitude towards women, particularly young women, was properly addressed to prevent future offenses.
