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| Speak: Denies Grope |
A drunken off-duty British Airways cabin crew employee groped a sleeping business-class passenger after catching the man’s eye on a long-haul flight to Bangkok, a court heard.
Paul Speak, 47, is accused of touching the man between the legs at least twice and dramatically fainting on board the BA plane when the complaint was reported to him.
“I believe I said: ‘What the f*** are you doing? Stay away’,” the passenger told Isleworth Crown Court.
Travelling alone, the man claims he caught Speak looking at him earlier. “It was a stare straight to me and a smile.”
He recalled three touches as he dozed in his seat. “The first time was the feeling of a light breeze on my thigh.
“I felt it again and saw the same guy walking back to his seat. “It was a light touch on my thigh, the inner thigh.
“Something happened again and I caught the hand. It was in the crotch area.”
The passenger says his penis was touched above his clothing.
“He mumbled and stumbled. I saw embarrassment on his face, shocked that he had been caught.
“I think that he might have been drunk.”
Prosecutor Miss Kathy Hirst told the jury: “The complainant, who was travelling alone, noticed another gentleman in a distinctive pink shirt walked down the aisle and ‘clocked’ him.
“There was eye-contact and he held his gaze.”
She said the the first incident occurred four hours after taking off from Heathrow, with Speak, a BA employee, using his staff points to fly.
“On two occasions the complainant says he was touched above clothing on his penis.
“He was woken by someone running his hand over his thigh area, near his crotch.
“He raised his eye mask and saw the man in the pink shirt retreating.
“It happened again forty minutes later. The hand went up towards his waistband and it seemed to be prolonged.
“He saw the same man in the pink shirt walking up the aisle.”
The passenger reported Speak to the cabin crew and a member of staff spoke to the defendant.
“It was obvious to her he was drunk and she told him a complaint had been made.
“His eyes rolled and he fainted and fell to the floor.”
Speak, who denies touching the passenger, was questioned by police on his return to the UK.
“He disputed he assaulted the complainant and accepted he was wearing a pink shirt.
“He said he forgot to take his medication for high blood pressure and had a few drinks before take-off and took a sleeping pill.
Speak, of Hawkes close, Langley, Slough has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault on October 12, last year.
Trial continues……….
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