Corby used condom thrower who left knickers on bottles of coke in shop sentenced for 'disgusting behaviour'

A Corby man has been given a suspended sentence for throwing condoms filled with bodily fluids at schoolgirls.

Donald Holdsworth, of Gainsborough Court, pleaded guilty to assault and to contaminating goods after also leaving a used condom and a pair of knickers on cola bottles.

The court was told that the three incidents had caused anxiety and distress to his victims.

Hearing the evidence during sentencing, Judge Amar Mehta questioned: “What’s he doing going around throwing condoms at young girls?”

Prosecuting, Sukhy Singh told Northampton Magistrates’ Court that, on June 30, a girl was walking with a friend through West Glebe Park, when a man on a red mobility scooter threw an item towards her filled with liquid she thought was urine. The incident made her cry and she was ‘obviously distressed’ as a result of what happened.

Seven weeks later, on August 20, more girls were targeted by Holdsworth, 57, this time in Corporation Street. The friends were walking through town when Holdsworth lobbed a condom filled with a ‘brown liquid’ from his mobility scooter.

The poo-filled prophylactic projectile hit one girl’s leg – she said that she hadn’t been sure what it was.

Holdsworth’s next crime came 10 days later in Heron Foods in Corporation Street. A shop assistant noticed a pair of women’s knickers on a multipack of Pepsi. She also found a used condom on bargain bottles of 89p cola, causing her ‘alarm’ and ‘distress’.

Luckily, due to Covid precautions, the shop worker was wearing protective gloves so was not in direct contact with the contents which the court heard was thought to be Holdsworth’s semen.

Mr Singh said: “The incident caused her anxiety and told one of her managers what she had experienced caused her alarm – ‘thankfully I was using gloves so I didn’t touch the semen. The incident made me physically sick’.”

The bottles were withdrawn from sale.

When police officers came to speak to Holdsworth he told them: “I’m usually good, boys. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

He also said that he done it about four times.

Mitigating, Baljit Garcha said: “He has no explanation why he did it. He regrets his actions and expressed remorse. There might have been some sexual gratification.”

Judge Mehta said: “It’s very concerning that somebody rides around a town throwing condoms at teenage girls.

"In your own words you acted in a ‘stupid way’. This court couldn’t agree more. Nobody deserves to have other people’s bodily excretions on them.”

Speaking of the condom found in the shop, the judge said: “There can be no doubt it was filled with semen.

"A member of the public or a child could have put their hand on it – it is disrespectful, gross behaviour, disgusting behaviour.”

Holdsworth was sentenced to a total of 24 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months.

He was ordered to take part in 30 rehabilitation days, pay costs of £85, a surcharge to fund victim services of £154, £50 to each of his victims and £25 to Heron Foods.