A City lawyer lifted a woman’s party dress and repeatedly slapped her bottom after drenching her in beer while describing her as an “Australian slut” at the posh rowing club he once captained, a court heard today.
Alastair Main, 35, who has rowed competitively for England, pursued her into the ladies toilet at The London Rowing Club’s Christmas dinner to carry-out the sex attack as she tried to clean herself up, the trial was told.
Prosecutor Mr. Paul Douglas said: “The defendant followed her into the ladies toilet, where she had gone to clean herself up, having had a beer thrown over her by the defendant.
“He pulled her hair and pulled up her skirt and smacked her approximately five times on the backside.
“There is further CCTV footage of a light tap to the bottom on the stairs as she was leaving the premises,” he told Wimbledon Magistrates Court.
This followed an earlier incident that left the 27 year-old woman in fear of Main, who attended £30,000 a year Oratory School, Reading and is currently employed by a global asset management firm, having previously worked for Coutts private bank.
“The beer was poured over her and she was cowering in the office,” said Mr. Douglas. “The defendant is behaving in an aggressive and intimidating way.
“He walks out and repeatedly calls her an: ‘Australian slut’ and pursues her and assaults her again.”
The woman told the court she snubbed Main at the bar when he asked for a hug. “He was kind of leaning on the bar, like he was trying to be affectionate.”
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| The London Rowing Club |
She told him: “I don’t think so,” and after hearing her plans to continue the evening with another woman he said: “Off to find some men are we?”
The woman told the court: “His demeanour had changed, something had snapped and there was an anger about him.
“He told her to: ‘Get the f*** out’ and at that point Mr. Main poured a beer over me.
“I was drenched, my hair was so wet. In my handbag, my scarf. He called me an: ‘Australian slut.’
“I knew I was going to have to walk back through the room so tied my hair up so it wouldn’t be so obvious.
“There were other members of the club standing in the doorway. I remember feeling humiliated.
“I didn’t want a scene in front of the members. I was terrified he would cause a scene, particularly after calling me an: ‘Australian slut.’”
A member’s wife tried to tell the woman it was a “wonderful evening” as she tried to flee Main, she said.
“I was hoping she would not notice my hair was wet and make-up running down my face.
“Mr. Main came up behind me and pulled my hair and pushed me forward.
“I went to the bathroom to fix myself up. I could hear heavy footsteps coming into the ladies bathroom.
“He appeared and said: ‘Where do you think you’re going?’ He called me a slut again, I don’t remember having breath to say anything because of shock.
“He was pulling my hair, slapping my head and pushing me around.
“He pulled my skirt up, calling me a slut and asking me if I was wearing any knickers.”
She said the slaps to her bottom occurred before her dress was pulled up by Main and she only escaped momentarily when another woman came into the toilet.
“He was slapping me as I tried to get down the stairs and out of the building. My bottom my thighs.”
She told the court a pal of Main’s pulled him off her outside and she kicked-off her shoes to flee.
He continued calling her “slut”, she added and shouted: “You’d better start running ‘cos I’m coming for you.”
Main later messaged her: “It was totally unacceptable, I realise that. I need to sort my life out and stop ruining yours.”
Main, who shares a £900,000 detached home with his wife Rebecca in Cobham Road, Kingston-upon-Thames, denies the claims.
He has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexually assaulting the woman at the club in Embankment, Putney on December 12, last year and the racially aggravated assault of the woman on the same occasion.
Married Main joined the London Rowing Club (LRC) during the 2005/05 season after rowing competitively for Nottingham University, Notts & Union and Britannia Boat Club.
He was elected captain for the 2013/14 season.
Six-foot plus Main was a national champion in 2003 and represented England at that year’s Home International Regatta.
He retired from competitive rowing in 2006, having won the Thames Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta.
Main is a graduate of the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Law School.
Trial continues……………
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