A 32-YEAR-OLD man inappropriately touched teenage girls on buses and at bus stops because he was feeling “sad and lonely”, Ballarat Magistrates Court heard yesterday.
Roman Galyas of Canadian also fled, first to Canberra and then to Brisbane, after being charged with the offences.
Galyas yesterday pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault, two charges of unlawful assault and one count of failing to answer bail.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Ivan Blomely said Galyas got on a bus in Norman Street on August 4, 2011 and rubbed his hand up and down the thigh of a 17-year-old girl.
On August 20, 2011, Galyas sat next to a 17-year-old girl at a bus stop in Sturt Street outside Myer, told her she was beautiful and again began rubbing her leg, including once under her shorts.
Senior Constable Blomely said that same day Galyas sat next to a 15-year-old girl at the Myer bus stop, told her she was beautiful and rubbed her right upper thigh.
Galyas was charged and bailed but failed to appear on two occasions.
Defence counsel David Eldridge said although the indecent assault was alarming, it was at the lowest end of the scale.
“He was hoping to make friends with the women but went about it totally the wrong way,” Mr Eldridge said.
Magistrate Peter Couzens told Galyas, who appeared in the dock after being on remand since December 20, that he was lucky he was only facing one count of indecent assault instead of three.
Mr Couzens sentenced Galyas to a total of eight months’ jail, with four months suspended.