Man, 41, ordered to pay £100 compensation for slapping 'violated' policewoman's bottom - but judge 'shares his frustration'

By JAMES TOZER, NORTHERN CORRESPONDENT Published: 11:45, 8 July 2026 | Updated: 11:46, 8 July 2026 A man who angrily slapped a policewoman's bottom as he was being ejected from his own home has been ordered to pay her £100 by a judge who said he 'shared his frustration'. Thomas Simpson, 41, had left a scorch mark on a kitchen worktop at his lodgings during a late night drunken attempt to cook himself a meal. But although he offered his deposit as compensation, Simpson's landlord, who lived with him, said he should move out - and called police. A court heard officers turned up at the premises and escorted the credit controller from the property, despite having no powers to do so. Outside in a fit of anger he slapped the female officer on the bottom, leaving her feeling 'violated', and was arrested. He later labelled his actions a 'sarcastic pat' and denied it had been misogynistic in intent or sexually motivated. At Stockport magistrates court, District Judge James Hulse suggested the officers had helped create a 'calamitous mess'. He ordered Simpson to complete 60 hours' unpaid work and pay £100 compensation to the policewoman for the 'unpleasant' assault. Thomas Simpson, 41, (pictured leaving court) admitted slapping the policewoman but insisted it had been a 'sarcastic pat' driven by 'frustration' over being ejected from his home 'It is frustrating yet again that police are turning up to what is a civil dispute,' said the judge. 'This man lives with the landlord, he puts a hot pan on the side and causes damage.  'The landlord is not happy, the defendant says "I am sorry. Take it out of my deposit" and the landlord says "No". 'But there is no incident so why do the police get called?  'Then instead of saying "This is a civil dispute" and walking away, officers go to the address and tell this man to leave with no powers to do so whatsoever.' Simpson was being 'obtuse but he is not being violent', the judge said. 'Police officers need to make a decision that this has nothing to do with them and walk away. 'They had no right to ask this man to leave whatsoever.' Simpson was ordered to complete 60 hours' unpaid work and pay £100 compensation to the policewoman after pleading guilty to assault on an emergency worker Speaking to Simpson, who now lives in Stalybridge, the judge told him it was an 'unpleasant' assault. But he added: 'I share your frustration with someone who has no power whatsoever to tell you to do something.' Officers should have told the landlord it was a civil matter and then left, he said.  'Over and over again, I've seen cases of police getting involved in civil matters and then situations end in a calamitous mess with people being assaulted.' The incident in Stockport, Greater Manchester occurred in the early hours of November 28, 2025. The female officer attempted to 'engage' with Simpson who initially packed his bags, prosecutor Alexandra Mack said. 'But after they left the address, he has slapped her to the right side of her bottom and in an aggressive manner said "Come on then, let's have it".' Simpson was arrested, later saying he had drunk 'six or seven ciders' at the time. 'He acknowledged his behaviour was inappropriate and said it was out of character,' Ms Mack said. 'He said he was not misogynistic and referred to the assault as a sarcastic pat.  'He said he was sorry and that it made him feel bad.  'He said he did not normally behave like that and there was no sexual intent. 'He did not do it to belittle her and got no sexual gratification from the slap.' In a statement the policewoman, who cannot be named, said: 'I come to work every day with the commitment to serve the public and help vulnerable people - I do not come to work to be assaulted. 'This made me feel violated. I was nothing but nice and reasonable to him.  'I offered him a lift out of the area. It was like I was not a person to him but an object. 'I gave him no permission to put his hands on me.  'I believe he did this to me, because I was the only female officer present. I felt I was an easy target. 'It made me feel extremely uncomfortable.' Simpson was originally charged with sexual assault but prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to assault on an emergency worker. He said in a statement: 'I was angry and upset. Just because it was a slap on the buttock does not mean it was sexual.  'Football players do it all the time, either congratulatory or to gee up the players. 'Children get slapped on the buttocks and there is nothing sexual about that.  'Just because it was a slap on the buttock does not mean it was sexual.’ His solicitor Patrycja Szymanska said in mitigation that he wanted to apologise to the policewoman. She blamed his actions on 'frustration' at being evicted without a legal process being followed. 'He understands he was wrong and accepts how his actions made the officer feel. He knows his actions were inappropriate.'