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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Man with shoe fetish walks free | Man with shoe fetish walks free |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A footwear fetishist who robbed women of their shoes has walked free from court with a suspended sentence. | A footwear fetishist who robbed women of their shoes has walked free from court with a suspended sentence. |
| Omar Abd-el-Gowd, 26, of Honor Oak Park, south-east London, had hundreds of shoes in his wardrobe when arrested. | Omar Abd-el-Gowd, 26, of Honor Oak Park, south-east London, had hundreds of shoes in his wardrobe when arrested. |
| Abd-el-Gowd admitted eight robberies between December 2005 and November 2006 and was sentenced to 12 months suspended for two years. | Abd-el-Gowd admitted eight robberies between December 2005 and November 2006 and was sentenced to 12 months suspended for two years. |
| Inner London Crown Court heard his mother comforted him as a baby by putting her shoe in his cot. | Inner London Crown Court heard his mother comforted him as a baby by putting her shoe in his cot. |
| As he grew older his desire for women's shoes took over his life and relationships and on moving to London from Stockton-on-Tees his obsession became stronger. | As he grew older his desire for women's shoes took over his life and relationships and on moving to London from Stockton-on-Tees his obsession became stronger. |
| 'Felt like monster' | 'Felt like monster' |
| The court heard he would approach his victims from behind and steal the shoes from their feet. | The court heard he would approach his victims from behind and steal the shoes from their feet. |
| Abd-el-Gowd said: "It was only when I read the statements of my victims that I realised how serious this was. | Abd-el-Gowd said: "It was only when I read the statements of my victims that I realised how serious this was. |
| "I felt like a monster. What I was reading was a description of someone I didn't recognise... I had convinced myself it was quite a minor thing I had been doing. | "I felt like a monster. What I was reading was a description of someone I didn't recognise... I had convinced myself it was quite a minor thing I had been doing. |
| "I was in a state of denial." | "I was in a state of denial." |
| Sentencing on Wednesday, Judge Colin Smith QC said: "There is absolutely no doubt that these were extremely frightening and traumatic occasions for the unfortunate women concerned." | Sentencing on Wednesday, Judge Colin Smith QC said: "There is absolutely no doubt that these were extremely frightening and traumatic occasions for the unfortunate women concerned." |
| Unfortunate fixation | Unfortunate fixation |
| But he added: "I am quite satisfied that you had absolutely no intention of harming the women physically in any way." | |
| He said that apart from this recent offending it was clear Abd-el-Gowd was highly intelligent, popular at work and had an "exemplary character". | He said that apart from this recent offending it was clear Abd-el-Gowd was highly intelligent, popular at work and had an "exemplary character". |
| The judge told Abd-el-Gowd he must now "take the very best treatment... to rid yourself of this unfortunate fixation". | The judge told Abd-el-Gowd he must now "take the very best treatment... to rid yourself of this unfortunate fixation". |
| Last week jurors at Inner London Crown Court failed to reach a verdict on a charge of sexual assault and the Crown Prosecution Service said it was not in the public interest to proceed with a retrial. | Last week jurors at Inner London Crown Court failed to reach a verdict on a charge of sexual assault and the Crown Prosecution Service said it was not in the public interest to proceed with a retrial. |