Peter Bonham Christie, 39, is accused of “lunging” at the 27 year-old fellow club member when she was having a smoke in the early hours of the morning.
Bonham Christie, of Gosport Street, Lymington, Hampshire, whose company specialises in the transportation of classic and luxury cars, has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the woman on November 30, 2018.
Earlier that evening the he dined at auctioneers Bonhams, where he also gave a speech and took a client to five-star Claridge’s in Mayfair, Isleworth Crown Court was told.
Former University of Portsmouth student Bonham Christie is an old boy of £40,000 a-year Millfield School and a member of the 245 year-old exclusive private members-only Royal Thames Yacht Club.
Prosecutor Emma Smith told the jury Bonham Christie followed the woman - who was attending a drinks evening - and fellow-member Andrew Sutherland, 60, outside.
She had attended a function for younger club members with her boyfriend, but he had left and it was the first time she had been introduced to Bonham Christie.
“You will hear from her how he went up to her, put his hand between her legs and how he grabbed her crotch.
“She did not say anything because she was so shocked, but pushed him off and said: ‘What are you doing?’
“The defendant apologised to Mr Sutherland, but not to her and went back into the club.
“Mr Sutherland will describe being outside and having a cigarette and the defendant coming outside and coming up to the complainant, lunging at her and grabbing her crotch.
“The following morning he received a call from this defendant, who apologised and said: ‘You’ve got to get me out of a hole’.
“He asked for the woman’s phone number and Mr Sutherland thought it was not appropriate to hand over her details.
“What was the hole Mr Bonham Christie had to get out of?” the prosecutor asked the jurors. “Was it because he sexually assaulted her in the way she and Mr Sutherland will describe to you?”
The woman reported the incident to the club and in March, 2019 told the police.
Bath-born Bonham Christie, a self-styled entrepreneur, who sold his first office water cooler company for over £1m, utilising water sourced on his family’s Dorset property, attended Kensington Police Station on March 26, 2019.
“He described Mr Sutherland as being very drunk and that Mr Sutherland had made comments about he, Mr Bonham Christie taking cocaine.
“In that background Mr Bonham Christie went outside to ‘have a word’ with Mr Sutherland and they had a friendly argument and he went back into the club
“He said he had been drinking, but had not touched her.”
Bonham Christie represented GB in sailing and skiing, aged 13 years-old and once received an award from the Royal Yachting Association for breaking the offshore powerboat world speed record.
The trial continues.......
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