Man found guilty of sexual assault and assault following series of incidents in Portsmouth city centre

A man has been convicted of sexual assault and assault following a number of incidents in Portsmouth city centre earlier this year.

George Mitac, aged 30 years, of St. Michael’s Road, was found guilty of two counts of assault and one count of sexual assault at Portsmouth Crown Court on Wednesday 12 July following a trial.

The court heard how Mitac was arrested by Portsmouth’s High Harm Team on Monday 15 May in relation to the following incidents, which took place on Sunday 14 May:

• At 9.50pm, a 19 year-old woman was on Winston Churchill Avenue when a man unknown to her began shouting at her and pulling her hair. This caused her to fall over onto the pavement.
• Shortly afterwards, at around 10pm, a 22-year-old woman was approached by a man unknown to her on Lord Montgomery Way. He pulled her hair and forced her to the floor.
• Fifteen minutes later, a 19-year-old woman was touched inappropriately over her clothing on St. Michael’s Road. It was reported that the man had asked for her number before slapping her bottom, the force of which caused her to fall to the ground sustaining minor injuries.

Mitac has been remanded into custody and will appear at Portsmouth Crown Court on Tuesday 1 August for sentencing.

Detective Sergeant Claire Ratcliffe, of Portsmouth’s High Harm Team, who led this investigation, said: “Mitac’s behaviour towards the women involved in these incidents is very worrying, and we are pleased that he has been found guilty and will be held accountable for his actions.

“These incidents were extremely frightening for the victims and I would like to thank them for their bravery and support throughout our investigation into Mitac’s crimes. We hope that this result will help them to move forward with their lives.

“Reducing violence against women and girls remains one of our top priorities in Portsmouth and together with other agencies we do a lot of work to tackle this issue. Our Operation Rigging patrols see officers out and about in the city centre at our busiest times, identifying and intercepting predatory or concerning behaviour towards women.

“I would like to take this opportunity to remind people that if you have been the victim of a sexual offence, please report it to us – you will be listened to and you will be taken seriously. We will also work to get you the support that you need.”

To find out more information about how we are tackling these issues in our local communities, how to report these crimes and where to go for support, please visit https://www.hampshire.police.uk/police-forces/hampshire-constabulary/areas/campaigns/2022/violence-against-women-and-girls/