A MAN has been ordered to pay compensation after assaulting two women in York.

Adam Carl Driscoll, 23, told one of his victims it was “all right” to hit a lesbian woman if she looked “butch”, Cathy Turnbull, prosecuting, told York magistrates. Then he knocked one of the women to the ground and attacked another. Neither was seriously injured.

Magistrates told him: “Your behaviour seems to be based on someone’s sexuality. That is not acceptable in our society.”

They ordered him to pay a total of £735, including £100 compenstion, £500 in fines, £85 prosecution costs and a £50 Government victim surcharge.

Driscoll, of Monkton Road, York, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault in Low Ousegate. Ms Turnbull told the magistrates the women were in a group walking through the centre of York very early on December 4.

Driscoll was walking with one of the victims and talking to her. Then he started talking about lesbians. At least two of the women in the group were lesbians, the court heard.

“He was saying “Why can’t I hit you? You lesbians want to be men because you look like men”,” said Ms Turnbull.

Driscoll then got angry and assaulted the two women.

Julian Tanikal, for Driscoll, said: “He is embarrassed. He wishes to make a public apology for his behaviour.”

Driscoll had been drinking and going through a difficult period, he said.

He had not been showing “outright hostility” to lesbians, and had been with the group of women for ten minutes, walking with them from Blossom Street to Low Ousegate without any problems.

However, he accepted the victims did not like what he was saying.

Driscoll had no previous convictions.