Three women have won £1,000 compensation each from a grocer dubbed “Grabber Grenfell” who was found guilty of groping shoppers.
Cub scout leader Raymond Grenfell, 70, claimed his touching, kissing and saucy comments to female customers was just “friendly banter” in his Crickhowell store.
The grocer was found guilty of a string of sexual assaults - but appealed the conviction in a bid to clear his name.
His victims returned to court to give new evidence to the judge who ordered Grenfell to pay £1,000 to three shoppers.
Judge Michael Fitton QC described Grenfell as a “man who lacks respect for women.”
'Pillar of the community'
The defendant was earlier convicted by magistrates of sexually assaulting four women in their 30s and 40s by grabbing them by their breasts, their waist, kissing them on the lips and begging them to take their clothes off.
The grandfather of four described as “the pillar of the community” denied the allegations at the Grenfell and Son grocery store in the Powys town.
He was convicted by magistrates at nearby Brecon - but appealed against his convictions at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court - forcing victims back to court to give more evidence.
The women, who cannot be named, told the court their relationships with Grenfell had begun innocently but had progressed quickly into smut and innuendo on his part.
'Grabber Grenfell'
“We all called him Grabber Grenfell,” one victim told the court.
“It started to become more than just an easy friendship.
“I felt some of his remarks became rather lewd, and inappropriate and dirty minded.
“I was very vulnerable. I had been through hell. It made me feel dirty. He did not hold back.”
She said Grenfell had pressed his hands against her breasts.
“I felt ashamed. I had been violated,” she said.
“He had a smirk on his face. He is a dirty old man.”
'Made me squirm'
Another victim said: “There was always innuendo. It was like a drip, drip effect.
“You could be talking about the weather and he would say something about seeing me in a bikini.
“It made me squirm and if I could avoid him I would. He was always very tactile but he was very crafty.”
She told the court Grenfell had sexually assaulted her by liking his fingers and putting them on her breasts.
“It was a momentary touch and he just did one of his dirty sighs,” she said.
'Dropped to his knees'
Grenfell assaulted another victim after pestering her and demanding to see her belly button piercing.
She said: “He told me to lift up my top for him to have a look. I put my hand over my midriff.
“He dropped to his knees and asked me again. He said: “You excite me. Give me a kiss before I go”
“I felt it was not going to a nice place. I turned my cheek and he lunged forward. He grabbed me around my waist, put his hand on my breast and squeezed.”
His fourth victim alleged that on one occasion when she went into his shop he was sitting on a stool but refused to move, telling her: “I’m not going to move out the way because I want to feel your breasts on my back.”
She also alleged he had kissed her on the lips before she fled.
He admitted kissing her once on the lips because he had gone to peck her on the cheek but she had failed to turn her head and he had given her a second one “for luck”.
The women said they kept the alleged attacks secret, which occurred between 2007 and 2014, because they feared they wouldn’t be believed over the “popular” shopkeeper.
'Lies added to the truth'
It was only after the women found out about each other’s experience through other locals that they decided to contact police.
Grenfell, a former school governor, told the court it was normal for him to greet customers with a hug and a peck or sometimes a kiss on the lips and it was all just part of friendly banter as part of his friendly and tactile persona.
He told the court: “Lies have been added to the truth to make more lies.”
The court heard he was a well respected member of the community.
Ann Smith, the former headteacher of the local primary school, told the appeal: “I have never had any concern about his behaviour.
“I have not had any cause to question the propriety of his behaviour in any way at all.
“The children love Ray. He would put himself second and he is still holding the community together.”
'Personality flaw'
Judge Michael Fitton QC dismissed Grenfell’s appeal for the first three complainants - but upheld it for the fourth because the burden of proof had not been met.
He told Grenfell that he was found to be “untruthful”.
The judge added: “The appellant in our judgment is a man who lacks respect for women and was seeking by degrees to exercise his own will and overcome the responses of those women to whom he was making approaches in a subtle way.
“It displays a character trait that is a personality flaw in contradiction in all the excellent things said about him.”
Grenfell, whose address was given as his grocery shop in High Street, Crickhowell, was ordered to complete 150 hours unpaid work along with the £1,000 compensation to three women.
He will also have to sign as a sex offender for five years.
Words by agency reporter Suzanne Evans
see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/grocer-known-grabber-grenfell-who-11843492
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