An Amazon delivery driver who walked into a customer’s living room uninvited before telling her she had ‘beautiful boobs’ has been cleared of sexual assault.
A disabled woman in her 60s contacted Wiltshire Police after Malgorzata Sojkowdka, 43, entered her home before giving her a bear hug and kisses – claiming that she’d also stroked her breasts.
On Friday, Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard how the Polish defendant, who is known as Margaret, had been working for Amazon Flex on the day of the incident in January this year.
Prosecutor Tom Power said the complainant knew Sojkowdka because she had delivered parcels to her address in Swindon throughout the previous year.
He said: “On the day in question, the defendant went to the complainant’s address, entered the property and gave the complainant a bear hug, kissing her on three occasions.
“The complainant says that on releasing her from the hug, her breasts were groped by the defendant who said: ‘God you have beautiful boobs'”.
Mr Power added that the woman’s statement to the police following the alleged sexual assault began: “I am making this statement because, no offence but you cannot trust foreigners and you don’t know what they are capable of.”
Addressing the court, the complainant said: “She’d come into my living room and started talking to me as if I’d known her for years – saying it was nice to see me, sorry she’d not been to visit me.
“I’m just thinking, please just go – I didn’t ask you to come into my house. I don’t know her that well; I’ve spoken to her about three times in the past, hello, this is your Amazon parcel, the weather’s nice, that sort of thing.
“I stood up and thought she might go, she stood up. All of a sudden she just kissed me on the cheek and gave me a bear hug cuddle. She brought her hands across the side of my breasts and said ‘you’ve got lovely big breasts’ or something like that and kissed my forehead, and she took off when my friend called me.
“I thought oh my God what is happening and it really did frighten me.”
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Under cross-examination, the woman denied that she’s ever invited the Amazon worker in for tea and coffee and denied that the pair had sparked up a friendship.
However, Sojkowdka said that she had become friends with the complainant after attending her home to deliver parcels on a near-weekly basis. She claimed that the woman regularly invited her in for tea and coffee and they got familiar with each other’s lives and families.
Sojkowdka confirmed that she walked into the complainant’s home on 3 January and gave her a hug and several kisses, but denied touching the woman’s breasts and that any of the contact was of a sexual nature.
She said she believed that the defendant had been upset or angry over the fact she changed her route and was unable to visit her for several months over the Christmas period.
Taking the stand, the defendant said: “When I delivered the parcels for her, I always gave her some extra time because I thought she was lonely and she liked talking to me.
“And when she saw me, she would always make comments about my cleavage – she always told me that my tops were too low cut but I never got offended, I treated it as a joke between friends.
“One day she wanted to talk to me for a bit longer, and because she had a problem with her legs she invited me into her house. I wanted to be kind so that’s why I agreed to go to her house and listen to her problems.
“In September (2021) I had to give up the route so I wasn’t able to see [the complainant], I have a disabled son and needed to have more time with him to look after him. I was very busy before Christmas also delivering parcels and I was very sick during Christmas.
“When I came back to work in January and I saw I had a parcel for [the complainant], I was very happy that I’d be able to see her. I was very sad that I couldn’t see [the complainant] during Christmas, during all the time I was very sick and very busy.
“So I knocked on her door and she told me to wait a while, but I wanted to surprise her because I hadn’t seen her for a while and knew about her problems with her legs, so I entered her house.
“I was very happy to see her after such a long time. That she looked well and looked healthy and well looked after. I was very happy to see her; I gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek – it’s a normal way to greet your family and friends in my culture.
“When I didn’t see her, I would think about her, how she was. I was very sad that I wasn’t able to visit her. I always liked to talk to her, I always wanted to be kind and I gave her extra time all the time. I came to like her as a friend.
“I hugged her very tightly because I’m a strong woman and because I was very happy to see her but I never touched her breasts. I have no sexual intentions.
“I told her that she had beautiful breasts because I wanted the situation to be more relaxed and she had commented in the past on my breasts, she said I would lose my breasts one day if I didn’t change my clothes. I never got offended because of this, it was a joke between friends and we always laughed about it.
“Before entering her house, I should have said ‘hello [the complainant], do you remember me’, but I didn’t do it. I might have scared her when I went in.
“I would like to apologise to [the complainant] for the fact that I entered her house, I wanted to visit her after such a long time and be a pleasant visit, I wanted to be kind. I never wanted to scare her or hurt her in any way – I like her as an older sister, I loved talking to her.”
The magistrates returned a verdict of not guilty following a short retirement and the defendant, of Linslade Street, Swindon, was acquitted.
“We have accessed all the evidence that we have heard today and we find you not guilty. We accept you probably did kiss and hug her but that did not amount to a sexual act”, the chair said.
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