A personal trainer who led a double life as a hell-raising drunk in between hosting classes in his local gym has been jailed.
Bodybuilder Craig Howman became known as "Public Nuisance Number One" in his hometown due to his lager lout binges - despite regularly posting selfies on social media of him working out and lifting weights.
The 31-year-old was arrested again after he got drunk in a pub and slapped a woman's bottom, telling her: 'You liked that, didn't you?'
A court heard he had already been issued with multiple Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBO) banning him from entering drinking establishments in Northwich, Cheshire and swearing in public following a string of drunken bust ups.
At Chester magistrates court, Howman, of Hartford, Northwich, was locked up for 16 weeks after he pleaded guilty to sexual assault, being drunk and disorderly, cocaine possession, and obstructing a police officer.
He had initially been given a CBO in 2018 after being in contact with police 19 times in a year alone with the majority of offences relating to drugs and alcohol.
The order banned him from being drunk in any public place in Northwich and from entering any public house in the CW8 and CW9 postcodes.
But he repeatedly breached the order and last February he was given a suspended sentence after he wandered into the Hart of Hartford pub whilst drunk and began accosting regulars.
At the time JPs gave Howman a chance after he claimed he got "confused" about the CBO and said he thought the pub was "more of a cafe."
Vincent Yip, prosecuting, told how Howman got into trouble again last May after he got drunk again and went to the Penny Black public house where a young woman, who is in her early 20s, had been drinks with friends.
"It was about 5.30pm and the defendant was said to be in drink and began talking to the group of friends," said Mr Yip. "As the complainant and the friend get up to go to the toilet, the defendant slapped her bottom.
"Later on the defendant says to her, 'You liked that, didn't you?' The matter was reported to police and the defendant was spoken to the following morning about that.
"The victim felt degraded at what happened. She is apprehensive when leaving the house and going to work.
"She had to confide with friends regarding the incident. She thinks without their support she would have struggled to get through the period."
Mr Yip went on to tell the court about further incidents involving Howman.
There were reports of a fight at the Bowling Green pub in Northwich on June 10, he said, and when officers arrived they saw that the defendant was again drunk. They went to arrest him again but he ran away. Following a short foot chase he was apprehended by officers who also used an incapacitant spray on him.
In mitigation Howman's lawyer Becky Hay said: "What Mr Howman tells me about the sexual assault is that everything was quite amicable during the evening.
"He had been talking to the lady and her friends but he does accept that when she got up he touched her bottom.
"I have seen the CCTV. While you can see that contact is made, it's not a full smack on the bottom. She does not appear at the time to react, as if upset or angry and indeed Mr Howman says they continued to chat.
"Maybe she has thought about it later and thought 'I am not standing for that' and rightly so, she has reported it to the police. Mr Howman never intended to upset this lady. He never intended for her to think that he was some sort of predator.
"Clearly it's not his thing to go out and upset people in that manner."
Miss Hay said that Howman had been working up until August in his own business as a personal trainer while also working for housebuilder Red Row.
She said he been on the waggon but began drinking again after he stopped taking his medication for anxiety and depression.
"Everything seemed to spiral out of control very quickly when he stopped taking his medication," Miss Hay said.
"He has spoken to his GP and he knows he should not have made that decision himself. He is going to start working with the drug agencies and the alcohol services.
"He has a partner. She is very supportive of him and wants to support him going forward.
"Ultimately, he wants to keep himself busy and out of trouble and to show the court that things have changed now. Enough is enough.
"When I went through the order, he said 'I want that order, I need the order because it will keep me on the straight and narrow. He realises that he needs to start complying with court orders like this otherwise he's going straight back into jail and that's not something he wants to do."
Sentencing Howman, JP Frances Miller told him: "You have a long record of criminal behaviour, a long record of non-compliance with court orders, therefore this has passed the custody threshold."
Howman was also ordered to pay the sexual assault victim £130 in compensation and sign on the Sex Offender Register for seven years.
He was made subject of a new five year CBO which bans him from being in the CW8 or CW9 postcodes with an open container of alcohol in his hand.
He is also banned from drinking in any public place in those areas and from entering any licensed premises including pubs, clubs, bars, cafes and restaurants, though he can enter supermarkets and off licences.
The order further prohibits him from causing harassment alarm or distress, including by swearing in public or at the public, including emergency workers. He must also follow the requirements asked of him by his supervisor at the Westminster Drug Project, based in Northwich.
A breach of the order can lead to a jail sentence of up to five years.
