Elderly man who referred to himself as ‘cheeky Tom’ jailed for sexually assaulting teenager on two separate occasions

An 81-year-old man was jailed for sexually assaulting a girl on two separate occasions.

Thomas Catcheside, of Fanshawe Road, Cambridge, who referred to himself as ‘cheeky Tom’, was jailed to eight months at Peterborough Crown Court last Wednesday.

This includes six months for sexually assaulting a teenage girl and a further two for a separate sexual assault as well as assault by beating a woman in her 20s, in Haverhill, last February.

On June 2 of the same year, Catcheside was shopping in Ely when he walked past a teenage girl just after 3pm.

The girl was handing out free food samples outside the front of a shop when Catcheside approached her.

At first, he made general conversations, telling her that people call him ‘cheeky Tom’, however, he then sexually assault her by touching her inappropriately.

The teenager, shaken and distressed, immediately told her manager and the police was called.

Just over a month later, on July 9, Catcheside approached her again in almost identical circumstances.

This time, the manager of the store chased after him and managed to take a photo of him.

The image was then released in a media appeal and Catcheside was identified and arrested.

In a police interview, he claimed he had only thrown a bit of paper at the teenager and denied sexually assaulting her.

He admitted telling his victim that people called him ‘cheeky Tom’, but said that was because of the way he ‘has a laugh and a joke with people’.

Catcheside was later charged with two counts of sexual assault.

Detective Sergeant Elaine Penniket said: “Catcheside’s behaviour was unacceptable, and we will do all we can to bring offenders like him to justice.

“His actions have had a lasting impact on his two victims who were trying to go about their day when he targeted them.

“I would like to thank the shop manager who managed to get a photo of Catcheside, which later led to his identification and arrest.”

Catcheside was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

He was also given a restraining order banning him from the shop in Ely until 2030.