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| 100% Innocent: Djurberg |
The wealthy owner of a landmark marina, falsely accused of abusing his "power and control" to grope young apprentices working at his boatyard, was cleared on Friday.
Myck Djurberg, 56, who lives in a listed authentic Swiss chalet, imported to the Thames riverside in 1882, is the boss of Hampton Riviera Marina & Boatyard.
Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court heard he routinely slapped the behinds of young men, who were reluctant to complain for fear of losing work.
However, Djurberg told the jury there was a sinister financial motivation behind the complaints, motivated by the fact he was suing the men's employers for shoddy work.
It took the jury approximately one hour to unanimously find him not guilty of four counts of sexually assaulting three young men on various dates between November 5, 2013 and July 1, last year.
His lawyer Miss Philippa McAtasney had told them during her closing speech: "Consider this, of all the hundreds of workers who must have worked on that site over the years it just so happens that Myck Djurberg has picked on the three who happen to have bosses who were expelled from the site and ended up in serious civil proceedings with him.
"Do you really think this is the sort of nonsense that should clog up our criminal courts? Should this really be occupying your time?
"A spat between grown men as a makeweight for other allegations?
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| Hampton Riviera Marina & Boatyard |
"It's a slap on the arse, to use some of the terminology we have heard. These are all adult males who work on building sites, who said they were unable to speak out about this.
"That is rubbish."
At the start of the week-long trial prosecutor Miss Ruby Selva told the court: "This defendant has a sexual liking for the young apprentices he employs and took advantage of his power and control to sexually assault these young men."
Djurberg strongly denies the allegations, claiming the bosses of three companies he is suing for sub-standard work are behind the complaints.
He has designed 32 houseboats, which he hopes to sell for up to £850,000 and the apprentices were employed by companies building them.
The three men are an apprentice carpenter, who was 19 years-old; a 17 year-old dad-to-be, who worked for a roofing and window firm and his 21 year-old workmate.
The 19 year-old was offered a lifetime and work and like all the apprentices was offered a holiday at Djurberg's luxury hotel in the Caribbean, the court was told.
"As the apprentice puts it, the defendant was a 'creep' and made sexual comments and innuendo towards those working for him," added Miss Selva.
One day the teenager was in his work shorts when Djurberg said: "Look at that peachy arse," explained the prosecutor.
Djurberg was throwing a fireworks party at the marina on November 5, 2013 and was seen slapping the 19 year-old across the face, who responded: "What the f*** are you doing?"
"He slapped him again, harder and as the complainant turned away the defendant grabbed the cheek of his bottom, grabbing it hard.
"The complainant told him: 'I'm not f***ing gay.'
"Another witness says he saw the defendant slapping the bottoms of workers as they were bent over working," said Miss Selva.
The 17 year-old, who had a pregnant girlfriend, was also slapped on the bottom, the jury heard.
"It increased to a daily event and the complainant was too embarrassed to report it.
"The young man felt that because of his wealth he (Djurberg) could do what he liked."
The 21 year-old says Djurberg sent him unwanted texts that were sexually-suggestive.
"The defendant asked him to go to the gym with him, with the innuendo that he would give him a good work out."
The young man made up excuses when Djurberg asked him out on dates. "He also slapped him on the bottom, but the complainant did not want to cause trouble and put it down to him being weird."
Djurberg, who says he has been married three times, denied the touching when questioned by police on September 14, last year.
"He accused all three young men of being set-up by their bosses because he was suing them for shoddy work." said Miss Selva.
The first complainant told the jury Djurberg boasted of his wealth and promised them work on a new lakeside marina he was constructing in Shepperton.
"We saw him funding luxury houseboats, he said he had all this money and a large hotel in the Dominican Republic.
"He told us he was a doctor, had houses here, houses there, but over time we realised none of it was true and he was a bit of a dreamer."
He recalled one outburst from Djurberg in front of a worker's 14 year-old son. "He said: 'You can't tidy up a mess like you can't hold a cock.
"I thought it was a very weird thing to say, but we did not pull him up on it."
At the party the witness was slapped by the defendant for complaining about the food.
"I was angry and turned away and my bum was grabbed and squeezed quite firmly by Mr. Djurberg."
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