Concert Pianist Accused Of Groping 15 Year-Old Girl While "Smooching" With Her Mum

An internationally renowned concert pianist seduced a love-struck new fan, "french-kissing" her on his sofa, while simultaneously fondling the woman's 15 year-old daughter after plying the pair with alcohol, a court heard yesterday.

Oxford-educated pianist Robin Zebaida, 49, a graduate of the Royal College of Music had an arm around each on the two-seater, but secretly groped the teen while making advances on her mother.

"While embracing them in that way Mr. Zebaida, as he brought his hand down on the girl's hip, put his hand under the top she was wearing on her bare flesh" prosecutor Mr. Mark Gadsden told the Isleworth Crown Court jury.

"He stroked her there and moved his hand up to her breast, where her bra was, but did not touch her breast.

"He started kissing the mother, 'smooching' as the daughter described it, french-kissing.

"The daughter then lay on the floor, complaining of the effects of the alcohol the defendant plied them both with, she had been drinking miniatures, and consumed more then the adults.

"He coaxed her back on to the couch and caressed her thigh and bottom in a slow and deliberate way," explained Mr. Gadsden. "He also kissed her on the neck and she felt unable to stop it happening.

"The mother never saw any of this sexual touching of her daughter and the defendant may have been disinhibited from the effects of the alcohol, the music, the romance."

The court heard both the widowed mother and her daughter struck up a friendship with Zebaida when he performed during a Mediterranean cruise in the summer of 2011 and sat in the front row of his performances.

"The mother and the defendant became friendly with each other and made arrangements to meet in England and some sort of romantic attachment may have grown as far as the mother and the defendant were concerned."

The mother always travelled from her Essex home with her daughter for dates, twice to the Steinway studios, where Zebaida was practising, and once to the Imperial War Museum and they returned to his St. John's Wood apartment on November 24, last year after dining at an Iranian restaurant.

"We sat on the sofa and he put some music on and we had some alcoholic drinks," the mother told the jury. "My daughter had one or two vodka miniatures and I think he had some whiskey.

"He had an arm around each of us and he kissed me, which turned into a french kiss," she explained. "It was a bit of a surprise.

"He had an arm around my waist and an arm around my daughter's back and French-kissed me several times within bouts of conversation."

The daughter reluctantly shared the sofa-bed with her mother that night, the court heard. "She was uncomfortable with Robin and she wanted to leave.

"She told me his hand had been under her shirt and against her stomach."

The pair left early in the morning, despite the defendant encouraging them to stay, claimed the mother. "He said we should stay longer and began cuddling me and started undoing my bra."

The girl shared her experience with a counsellor three months later and the police were informed.

Zebaida, who also teaches music masterclasses around the world with the British Council is an examiner with the Associated board of the Royal Schools of Music.

He is also a certified masseuse and claims he had previously given the girl an innocent back rub above her clothing at the Imperial War Museum.

British-born Zebaida, of Grove End Gardens, Grove End Road has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault by touching.

The trial continues………….