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| "Mortified": Forsyth |
A military consultant, who slapped a young woman’s bum at a Royal Navy charity event told a jury today: “I regretted hurting her or offending her if I had, but there was no sexual intention whatsoever.”
Former Army Staff Sergeant Mark Forsyth, 58, consumed two pints of beer and “five or six” glasses of wine the night he attended the Admiralty House fundraiser in Whitehall for the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
Forsyth, of Millennium Close, Frampton Cotterell, Coalpit Heath, Bristol - boss of MRDFORSYTH Consulting Limited - has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the woman on February 15, last year at the landmark Grade 1 listed building.
He told the Southwark Crown Court jury he has no memory of slapping the woman’s rear, but accepts her evidence and that of his friend and business colleague Major Cliff Allen, who saw the incident.
“It was a spur of the moment thing,” said Forsyth. “I’ve accepted it is common assault, there was no sexual intention. I often slap colleagues on the bottom or the back.”
However, prosecutor Mr. Paul Casey suggested: “You were seeking some small element of sexual gratification. A little thrill.”
Forsyth denied this and a suggestion he danced and waved his arms around afterwards - recorded on CCTV - as a diversionary tactic to cover up the sexual assault.
“That’s all a performance isn’t?” asked Mr. Casey. “To make a buffoon of yourself so nobody would take it seriously?”
Forsyth replied: “I was randomly waving waving like an idiot. I accept I’m acting like and idiot, but I’m not waving at her boss.”
Earlier that night he touched a waitress serving canapés, but insisted this was simply to get her attention and was not another bum grope.
“She had her back to me and I noticed the canapés were quite enticing and touched her on the lower back to attract her attention.
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| Forsyth: "No Sexual Intention" |
“She was a bit….shocked is the wrong word, she had not expected it.”
“One of the guys made a comment like: ‘Careful, she nearly dropped the canapés’
“Cliff said: ‘Gosh, she nearly spilled the tray’. He likes to put me in my place.”
Forsyth had two pints with Major Allen in the pub before walking to the event and consuming more alcohol. “I had five or six glasses of wine. It made me a bit happy shall we say,” he told the court.
He chatted with the complainant, an organiser at the event, earlier that evening. “I asked her if she had been in the military and she said she had been a naval bandswoman.
“I said she was the prettiest naval bandsman I had seen because I had never seen a female bandsman and she took it in the light-hearted manner it was intended.
‘That’s the sort of thing you do in the military, saying: ‘You are the ugliest or prettiest guy I’ve ever met’ whatever.
“I went to give her my name badge and thank her for a great evening. This is when we had the discussion about who I could have been, the head of a multinational defence company or whatever.
“I don’t recall much apart from thanking her for the evening and that was about it really.”
Regarding the bum slap he said: “I don’t recall it, no. I don’t dispute it, I’m happy to accept.”
Regarding his dancing afterwards, which was played to the jury Forsyth added: “That’s something I do when I’m a bit tipsy.”
The woman reported him to the police five days later and Forsyth was interviewed at Belgravia Police Station on April 3 after receiving and email from the investigating officer.
“I thought this was a bit odd. I thought I’d received it in error.”
He told the police: “I’m mortified. I’m more than happy to write her a letter and apologise.”
When asked by Judge Martin Griffith if he ever slapped Major Allun’s bum or other colleagues Forsyth replied: “Someone may be climbing the stairs slowly and you slap them on the bottom and say: ‘Shift your arse.
“I Think I’ve been open and honest in my dealings with the police in this case. I have no reason to lie.”
On his professional profile Forsyth describes himself as an experienced Defence and Business consultant seeking new challenges.
He was an electronics engineer for twenty-four years, specialising in tanks with the Army Technical Support Agency.
He has worked on projects here in the UK, plus Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Singapore.
Forsyth previously worked as a specialist for the Australian Defence Forces and the New Zealand Defence Force in their delivery of heavy recovery military vehicles.
He is a former parish councillor for Frampton Cotterell Parish Council and an ex-town councillor at Bradley Stoke.
Forsyth is a graduate of Worcester University, Farnborough College of Technology and the School of Electronic Engineering.
He currently resides in a four-bedroom £550,000 detached home.
Admiralty House is used for government functions and houses ministerial apartments.
It backs onto Horse Guards Parade and was once home to Winston Churchill while serving as First Lord of the Admiralty
John Prescott had a grace-and-favour flat in the building when he was Deputy PM and it has been home to several Prime Ministers during 10 Downing Street renovations.
Trial continues…………
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