A man who followed his victim into the Westgate Centre toilets then tried to rape the woman has been jailed.

The woman had been forced to rebuff Ross Barrow’s advances in Bonn Square earlier in the day, making it clear after he made lascivious remarks to her that she did not want to be intimate with him.

Oxford Crown Court heard that the 31-year-old ignored the wishes of the woman, who suffers from autism.

When she went upstairs to the top-floor toilets at the Westgate Centre on September 20 last year, he followed her into the ladies’.

He locked himself into a cubicle with her, wedging his back against the door to prevent her from leaving.

He removed his clothing, exposing himself to the woman, and pawed at her clothes and body. He molested her but was interrupted before he could rape her.

Her cries for help were overheard by another woman in the toilets, who raised the alarm and got in touch with security officers.

Barrow had a ‘standoff’ with the guards, but was allowed on his way. His victim was discovered by police officers in a ‘dishevelled’ state of dress at a nearby bus stop.

The defendant was arrested near the shopping centre and, in a prepared statement, suggested that the sexual activity had been consensual.

In a victim personal statement summarised to the court by prosecutor Matthew Walsh, the woman said the assault had left her feeling like ‘damaged goods’.

She felt like part of herself had been ‘lost’ and could not be returned, Mr Walsh added. The assault had affected the way she socialised and her ‘freedom to be out and about on her own’.

Barrow, of Eastern Avenue, Littlemore, pleaded guilty to attempted rape and sexual assault by penetration after a psychiatrist ruled that he was fit to stand trial. He had previous convictions but none for such serious offences.

Oxford Mail:

Mitigating, Matthew Barnes said his client had struggled since being remanded into custody last autumn. He had had no visits to HMP Bullingdon or phone calls, and his mother was said to have ‘no idea’ where he was.

The defence barrister said: “He comes from a very unhappy background; in care, where he was assaulted, numerous failed foster placements. He has in the past had problems with alcohol but he wasn’t taking excess alcohol at the time of this.”

The defendant was of ‘low intelligence’ and had learning disabilities of his own. He had gone through periods of homelessness. Mr Barnes said his client was ‘genuinely remorseful’.

Jailing him for four years and eight months, Judge Ian Pringle KC said of the defendant: “He went into the ladies’ public toilets. That’s what makes this concerning.”