MAN SENTENCED TO £400 FINE FOR SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN LONDON

Abdul Barkeeh Salihi, 24, has been sentenced to a £400 fine after admitting two counts of sexual assault and criminal damage at Inner London Crown Court. Salihi groped a 14-year-old girl on 28 January last year while she visited Leadenhall Market in the City of London with her family as part of a Harry Potter-themed sightseeing tour. Earlier that same day, he slapped the bottom of a 42-year-old woman after following her along nearby Lombard Street. Following the assault on the teenager, Salihi was confronted by her family inside Rocca restaurant at Leadenhall Market, an encounter that resulted in him throwing a chair through a window.

Salihi, an Afghan national, was sentenced last week alongside a £160 victim surcharge. Police recorded the first sexual assault at approximately 3.30pm on 28 January, when the 42-year-old woman was walking in the rain and sheltering close to buildings near Mansion House. He will be placed on the sex offenders register for five years. Leadenhall Market, which dates to the 14th century, served as a filming location for Diagon Alley in the original Harry Potter film franchise.

Detective Constable Natalie Schofield from City of London Police described the assaults as "deeply distressing" and committed "in broad daylight against two females who were simply going about their daily lives". She commended both victims for their courage in coming forward and supporting the investigation, stating that their bravery "ensured this offender has been held accountable for his actions". Salihi provided an address at an Oxford hotel being used to house asylum seekers.