Andrew Cromar cleared of sexually assaulting student

Andrew Cromar, 23, was accused of groping the 22-year-old woman on the breast at Revolution bar in Glasgow city centre.

The trainee BDO accountant was claimed to have committed the crime when saying goodbye to her following a freshers night out.

The woman - a engineering consultancy worker - said she was shocked and taken aback as Mr Cromar had been a "friend".

Mr Cromar, of Newton Mearns, denied the single charge of sexual assault.

The woman told Glasgow Sheriff Court in evidence that she knew Mr Cromar - who attended a different university - from curling.

She claimed both were on a night out with curling friends. 

The witness stated that she had a few conversations with Mr Cromar through the night and the atmosphere was "upbeat".

Prosecutor Gail Campbell asked if anything happened.

The woman replied: "He put his hands on my shoulders to say goodbye. As he was saying goodbye, he moved his hands from my shoulders to my chest."

The witness added that Mr Cromar moved both hands further down to touch her on the hips.

Miss Campbell: "When you say chest, which particular part?"

The witness: "My breasts."

She said it lasted for 10 to 15 seconds. 

The woman refuted suggestions that it was an accident or Mr Cromar being friendly.

She said: "I would never interpret someone touching my breasts without permission as a friendly gesture."

Miss Campbell asked the woman how she felt after it happened.

She replied: "Quite uncomfortable, I was a bit taken aback by what happened and didn't realise what had happened until after it."

The woman claimed she kept in contact with Mr Cromar who she stated was the "president" of the University of Glasgow curling club after the incident.

She said she reported the incident at a university level but nothing was done before going to the police.

Advocate John Scullion, defending, put it to the witness that Mr Cromar did not touch her breasts and she replied: “No.”

Mr Scullion also stated to the woman that she did not say Mr Cromar had touched her hips to the police in her statement. 

She replied: “That’s correct.”

Mr Scullion: “No one reacted and no one said anything?”

The woman: “If that’s how you want to describe it then yes.”

She earlier stated that new friend Alex Leek also at the table asked if Mr Cromar was her boyfriend after the incident. 

The woman stated that she did not discuss the incident any other friends.

However, Mr Leak, 29, told the court that the woman did discuss what happened with friends.

Mr Cromar stated in his evidence that he put his arms around her and she was still.

Mr Scullion: “Did she move at any point?”

Mr Cromar: “She moved backwards.”

Mr Scullion: “What did you do?”

Mr Cromar: “At that point my hands moved down towards her hips.”

Mr Cromar stated that he was put on anti-depressants after the allegations and has stopped curling. 

Miss Campbell put it to the witness that he had “a lot to lose".

Mr Cromar replied: “Do I?”

He later told the court that he didn’t “really understand” what she meant. 

Sheriff David Taylor said: "Mr Leek's evidence was that the woman told friends about what happened on the evening.

"The woman's position was quite clear that she didn't say anything to her friends.

"It is not an issue of reliability but credibility - I don't believe Mr Leek was telling the truth about that important matter which casts a shadow over his credibility on the evidence as a whole.

"There was no corroboration after Mr Leek for the woman's account and I find the charge not proven."