Financial advisor gets jail term for sex assault on maid

Update: On October 9, 2018, Andrew Marris appeared at Antrim County Court, sitting at Coleraine, when his appeal was allowed. The order of the magistrates court was reversed, the complaint was dismissed and the conviction was overturned.

A London-based financial advisor has been sentenced to four months in jail after he sexually assaulted a hotel maid.

Andrew Marris was convicted of sexually assaulting the woman at the Hilton Hotel in Templepatrick, County Antrim, in September 2016.

The 54-year-old continues to deny the offence.

He was released on bail at Antrim Magistrates' Court pending an appeal.

At an earlier hearing the court was told Marris, from Lauderdale Mansions in London, approached a maid at the hotel wearing a robe and asked for help to iron a shirt.

She did so but then he took off his robe to reveal that he was naked, touched her neck and tried to kiss her but she repeatedly said no.

When she reported the incident to her manager, police were called.

When Marris was questioned he denied assault, maintaining from the witness box at his contest hearing that there had been no physical contact.

Defence barrister Neil Moore said the conviction had resulted in "huge personal ramifications" for Marris but that his wife and his wife and adult children were standing by him.

Mr Moore said that Marris has lodged appeal papers in an effort to clear his name.

Jailing Marris, Judge Nigel Broderick said there had been a "significant impact on the wellbeing" of his victim and given the nature of the offence, the custody threshold had been passed.

He was ordered to sign the police sex offenders register before being released on bail.