A planning glitch has delayed the start-up of a sex offender rehabilitation programme at Westgate Correctional Facility.

This was revealed yesterday after a repeat sex offender received a four-year prison term for sexual offences committed less than 24 hours after his release from Westgate.

Ronald James Tucker, 41, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court to three counts of sexual assault against three different women.

Tucker suffers from a mental illness and has similar convictions of sexual assault.

When he appeared in court on July 4, Puisne Judge Norma Wade asked that a psychiatric evaluation be prepared on him prior to sentencing.

And yesterday Mrs. Justice Wade said the evaluation indicated that as long as Tucker took medication for his mental illness, he could benefit from the proposed sex offender programme at Westgate.

But she noted that the treatment Tucker needed was not yet in place at Westgate.

"This makes it so very difficult (to sentence him),'' Mrs. Justice Wade said.

"He has a high risk of re-offending if he doesn't receive the proper treatment.'' Crown counsel Wilhelm Bourne said Tucker assaulted all three of his victims less than 24 hours after being released from prison for serving a sentence for a sexual offence.

Mr. Bourne said Tucker approached the first complainant on February 13 around 2.30 p.m. while she was getting into her car which was parked on Queen Street.

Tucker, who knew the woman, shouted out to her and began walking toward her.

She acknowledged him and opened her car door.

Mr. Bourne said when Tucker blocked the woman from getting into her car and demanded a kiss, she told him that his behaviour was inappropriate.

Tucker then leaned into the car and attempted to kiss the woman on the face.

But when the woman pushed him away, he squeezed her right breast and quickly walked away down Queen Street.

Around 5.45 p.m. on the same day, the second complainant was standing outside the Romanoff Restaurant on Church Street waiting for a friend.

Mr. Bourne said Tucker stopped at the entrance of the restaurant and told the woman: "Was I too fast the last time''.

The woman responded: "You don't know me. I think you have the wrong person.'' Tucker identified himself and asked her name. The woman told Tucker to leave the area.

He then raised his hand and touched the woman's left breast. When she told him again to leave, he raised his hand and touched her right breast.

The woman ran up the stairs of the restaurant, and customers stopped Tucker from following her up the steps.

He left the area and Police were called to the scene.

At 8.20 p.m. the same day on Queen Street, Police spotted Tucker while they were conducting inquiries about the first two assaults.

When the officers informed Tucker that he was under arrest, he then gripped the female officer's breast.

Lack of treatment for sex offenders He was arrested and taken to Hamilton Police Station.

When he was told he would be prosecuted for sexually assaulting the female officer, he replied with laughter: "I'm not sure I done about 12.'' Tucker admitted to Police that he was in Hamilton all day. He said a lot of women threatened him and he dealt with them by squeezing their breasts because he felt horny.

He asked that two offences of intruding on the privacy of a female be taken into consideration.

Mrs. Justice Wade said: "If he committed the crime one day after being out of prison, it shows how deviant he is. He really needs treatment.

"And if we give him X amount of years with no treatment, he'll get progressively worse,'' she added.

Mrs. Justice Wade sentenced Tucker to four years imprisonment and told him to participate in the sex offenders programme once it starts.

Health and Social Services Minister Clarence Terceira yesterday told The Royal Gazette that Prisons Commissioner Edward Dyer met with Personnel Services on Tuesday about the status of the programme.

Dr. Terceira promised he would soon have information about the status of the programme, but said current delays were due to a "hiccup'' in planning.

"They're working out the conditions of a contract, but that's the only hold-up,'' said Dr. Terceira.

"I expect word on Monday about the status of the programme, and hopefully it can start right away,'' he added.

The prison programme for sex offenders is expected to include a psycho-educational component which will identify an offender's deviant sexual cycle and precursors to the sexually offensive behaviour.

It will also include relapse prevention training, social skills training, and anger management training.