Theo Tsiolas

Theo Tsiolas, a 42-year-old chip shop owner from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, has been sentenced for committing multiple sexual assaults against seven victims over a two-year period. The offences, described by the judge as 'despicable', involved degrading and humiliating behaviour towards young people who were customers or otherwise encountered him at his business, the Jolly Fryer in Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

The court at Nottingham Crown Court heard that Tsiolas admitted 10 counts of sexual assault shortly after his trial began in July 2025. Prosecuting, Dawn Pritchard detailed how one female victim reported Tsiolas being 'fixated with bottoms', while another described him singing 'inappropriate' sexual songs to her. Additional accounts included frequent grabbing of buttocks, with one victim stating that telling him to stop 'didn't deter him'. The victims, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, provided impact statements expressing feelings of shame and embarrassment resulting from his actions.

Tsiolas was arrested in September 2021 following a report from one victim to Nottinghamshire Police. Investigations revealed a pattern of behaviour towards multiple young people. Despite initially denying the allegations during his police interview and accusing the victims of lying, Tsiolas eventually pleaded guilty, though this came after a jury had been sworn in for the trial, nearly four years after his arrest.

Sentencing on 19 September 2025, Judge Michael Auty KC condemned Tsiolas' 'vile, lewd and wholly inappropriate comments' and his choice to 'humiliate and degrade these young people'. The judge noted that the victims 'should never have been subjected to the vile abuse that you foisted upon them' and that they had 'suffered egregiously'.

Defending, Bunty Batra stated that Tsiolas 'appears to be genuinely remorseful' and 'takes responsibility for what he has done'. He added that his client is selling the chip shop and planning to move from his family home due to social media threats, expressing that Tsiolas is 'sorry, embarrassed and ashamed'.

Following the hearing, Detective Constable Gemma Ryback from Nottinghamshire Police highlighted the 'extremely unacceptable' nature of Tsiolas' behaviour and its significant impact on the victims. She praised their fortitude through prolonged court proceedings, noting how Tsiolas had insisted his actions were mere 'banter' and prolonged the process by denying the offences for years.

The case was reported by BBC News East Midlands on 19 September 2025, based on court proceedings at Nottingham Crown Court.