Commander Steven Heap told the hearing his actions were an "amusing not sexual" act of "drunken buffoonery" and asked the court not to ruin his career over a "schoolboy prank."
The 48-year-old said he had been drinking and when he slapped his colleague's bum on the dancefloor, it was nothing more than a "prank."
Two GMB guests presented varying opinions on the matter, with a reality TV star Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace suggesting bum slapping doesn't constitute a sexual assault, while journalist Radhika Sanghani argued that it should be regarded as such.
Reactions to the discussion poured in online, where commentators expressed various points of view on whether bum slapping should be viewed as a form of sexual harassment.
@GMB if more women report slaps on the bum then men will get the message to STOP DOING IT. @susannareid100
— Judy (@Judyinrichmond) November 1, 2018
Tomorrow debate should bottom slapping be considered a sexual assault..?! @wrongon79… cause I remember one of bosses slapping mine 🤔 2015 was a wild year 😫 pic.twitter.com/Nk8iYTM4L1
— AddersInTheStudio (@GoAddo) November 1, 2018
Bum slapping is never acceptable. Neither is bottom pinching that men receive. Both completely wrong. #GMB
— Darren Taylor (@DazRTaylor) November 1, 2018
In a professional business climate,correct ambience must be maintain bottom slapping is not part of it, maintain correct respectful distance, the workplace is Not a pub
— Malcolm Dearing (@RescueMal) November 1, 2018
#gmt can you explain more about what happened in this bottom slapping case. There’s more to it than ‘just’ one slap.
— sam coates (@ladycabdriver73) November 1, 2018
— slapped twice
— only just met her
— slapped so hard it hurt
— slapped second time 20 mins after 1st
If it wasn’t sexual assault it was definitely abuse.
I think it depends how friendly you are tbh. I’m always slapping my friends bums ha ha oh no maybe they will have me done for assault now.
— Diane (@TheClumsyMissB) November 1, 2018
