A POLISH national has received a suspended sentence after two men assaulted and tried to strip a homeless man in Derry city centre.
Artur Nowak (33) of Kular Court in Derry admitted charges of assault and indecent behaviour that occurred on April 17 this year.
The court heard that around 4.10pm police received a report of a homeless male being assaulted by two other men outside the former Bank of Ireland building on the Strand Road.
The witnesses said the assailants had eastern European accents.
They reported that the two men were attacking "a defenceless man" and were trying to remove the victim’s trousers.
A woman stopped her car and shouted at the men to stop but they ignored her plea.
The two assailants walked away and then returned and tried to drag the victim round the corner by the scruff of the neck.
One of the assailants was seen to be recording the incident on his phone.
When police stopped Nowak they were able to play the footage and saw the victim’s clothes being removed.
When the man tried to cover himself up his clothes were removed again.
Nowak made admissions once he was shown the footage.
Defence solicitor Paddy MacDermott said his client had no criminal record.
He said he had expressed remorse for his actions.
The solicitor said Nowak had been here a matter of months but intended to stay on and work.
Deputy District Judge Liam McStay said these were "absolutely disgraceful offences" on a "defenceless and vulnerable" victim.
The judge said this was not a fleeting incident but was "repeated and determined."
He said intoxication was no excuse and in fact made the case worse.
Nowak was given a sentence of five months suspended for two years and ordered to pay £250 in compensation to the Simon Community.