A Metropolitan Police inspector allegedly sexually assaulted three female colleagues during a night out in a Soho bar, groping and pinching them on the dancefloor, a court has heard.
Dave Newman, 39, from Luton, is accused of three counts of sexual assault against the women, who cannot be identified for legal reasons. Prosecutor Charlotte Godber opened the case at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, describing how Newman allegedly "grabbed, groped, stroked and pinched his way around the dancefloor" at the central London venue.
Allegations of Unwanted Touching
One woman told the court she froze when Newman, then a police officer, placed his hand on her vaginal area over her clothing for approximately two seconds. Another complainant described being "very drunk" when Newman began "grinding behind her" before placing his hand on her waist and left hip, and then touching her vagina above her clothing. A third woman alleges he grabbed her bottom.
The prosecutor stated, "The touching was not wanted, it was not consented to by the women he touched." She added, "All the officers were, of course, off duty at the bar, and that seems to have given Inspector Newman an unusual sense of liberty to do whatever he wanted with the women present, regardless of whether they wanted to be touched or not."
Defendant's Silence in Interview
Newman, who attended the hearing wearing a grey suit with his hair in a top knot bun, did not answer questions during his police interview, the court was told. He has denied all three charges.
The trial continues at Southwark Crown Court.
