Sex assault survivor, 22, is shocked to see her attacker working behind the till at Tesco following his release from jail
- Abbi Lawther, 22, from County Down, spotted Simon Cash earlier this month
- Cash spent nine months of 18-month term in jail and is serving rest on licence
- Ex-nursing student convicted of two sexual assaults against beautician in 2018
A sex assault survivor has told of her shock to see her attacker working behind the till at Tesco following his release from jail.
Abbi Lawther, 22, from County Down, Northern Ireland, spotted Simon Cash earlier this month at her local store.
Cash was released from HMP Maghaberry towards the end of last year after being handed an 18-month sentence, serving nine months and the rest on licence.
The ex-nursing student was convicted of two sexual assaults against the beautician in 2018 and managed to get a job at the supermarket giant after his release from jail.
Abbi Lawther (pictured above), 22, from County Down, Northern Ireland, spotted Simon Cash earlier this month at her local Tesco store
Ms Lawther, who has suffered from depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts after the attack, said seeing Cash was a ‘terrible shock’.
She told Belfast Live: ‘Seeing Simon cash was a terrible shock. I’ll never forget his face and I couldn’t believe we were suddenly looking at each other while he was serving customers. The last time I’d seen him he was being sentenced to time in jail for attacking me.
‘I was with a friend buying a magazine and some wine in Tesco when I saw him. He was wearing a Tesco uniform and a dark face mask, and was sitting at an end till serving a customer.
‘I knew one day I’d see him but I assumed it would be in the street, not with him working in a family shop.’
Ms Lawther said he was scanning through groceries for a female customer at the time and questioned why he had been placed on the front-line.
She added that he looked at her before she turned around and left the store.
Ms Lawther (pictured above), who has suffered from depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts after the attack, said seeing Cash was a ‘terrible shock’
Ms Lawther also prompted Tesco to remove Cash from his job until he has fully served his sentence.
Cash, who attended Dundee University, attacked Ms Lawther, then 21, outside of Betty Black’s nightclub and inside a taxi in Bangor, Northern Ireland.
He was initially sentenced to three years probation and 100 hours of community service but the Director of Public Proseuctions (DPP) found it ‘unduly lenient’ and succeeded in an appeal.
MailOnline has contacted Tesco for comment.
Source: Read Full Article
