A man has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after he sexually assaulted a woman outside a nightclub in Warrington, Cheshire. Mohammed Esmati, 28, was sentenced on 19 March 2026 at Warrington Combined Court after a camera operator watched the attack happen in real-time and alerted the police.
The incident took place around 5:15am on 23 August 2025 while the victim was standing outside the Reef nightclub for a cigarette. The woman told the court she was in shock and began hyperventilating after Esmati touched her chest under her clothing. Police officers were able to arrive and arrest him at the scene as he tried to flee.
Esmati, who previously lived on Victoria Road in Widnes, denied the charges during a trial in January 2026. Along with his prison sentence, he must now stay on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and pay £837 in court costs and surcharges. PC Hannah Mooney from Cheshire Police praised the camera operator for their quick thinking in helping to catch a predator.
The conviction comes as Warrington Borough Council proposes to stop live monitoring of town centre cameras from September 2026 to save £220,000. Chief Constable Mark Roberts has spoken out against the plan, stating that live cameras are vital for protecting women and girls and catching criminals on nights out.
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