Former Royal Mail manager from Sheffield sexually assaulted his sleeping male victim during stay at Rotherham hotel

Sheffield Crown Court heard on March 4 how Stuart Diack, aged 57, of Hall Road, Aughton, Sheffield, had been staying at a hotel in Rotherham with another man when he touched his genitals while taking photos as the other man slept.

Nicola Quinney, prosecuting, said both men had arranged to meet but at some point Diack took some photos of the other man’s penis as he slept at the hotel.

Recorder Ian Mullarkey told Diack: “He laid down on the bed and fell asleep and he woke later that evening to find his clothes on his lower half had been removed and you sat beside the bed and on your phone were a series of photos.”

Ms Quinney added that Diack’s victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, withdrew his support for the prosecution and claimed he had been treated with love and respect by the defendant.

Diack had also originally claimed he was helping the man deal with a drug problem and he had been looking for evidence of drug-taking.

But the defendant pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the man after the incident on January 15, 2020.

Defence barrister Andrew Blair Semple said Diack is a hard-working man who became a Royal Mail manager and he has no previous sexual offences to his name. Following the hearing, Royal Mail said he had left the business two years ago.

Mr Semple said Diack had been alcohol-dependent and had been craving love and affection and the complainant had been drug-dependent.

He added: “For a man of his background he is very much ashamed of the situation he has found himself in.

"His drinking has spiked and his previous depression has got very much worse and he has not had any relationship since.”

Recorder Mullarkey sentenced Diack to 18 months of custody suspended for two years with 150 hours of unpaid work, a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and a sex offender programme.

He told Diack: “You took advantage of your friendship with him and his reliance – to some extent – upon you.”

Diack has also been made subject to the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.