The woman says her breasts were also groped by fellow graduate Jacques Foce, 33, who wanted her to join a threesome with his fiancé and later texted: “Thanks for a great night.”
The Cass Business School graduate, who is employed by a global investment company told the Inner London Crown Court jury: “He had unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans.
“He was moving his fingers under my trousers, under my underwear. I was frozen, I was in shock.”
South African native Foce, of Heyford Avenue, Nine Elms, Lambeth, a former sound engineer for Cape Town’s Smile FM, was unanimously found guilty of five counts of sexual assault in the early hours of July 4, 2020.
“When in drink you decided to take advantage. You clearly intended to make some kind of move and I dare say you hoped she would respond positively,” Recorder Darren Reed told him.
“When she was asleep and in no position to consent you unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans and sexually assaulted her.
“You knew what you had done, but denied the offences and lied to the police and to this court and forced her to give evidence.”
The trial heard the woman had been invited over to the converted Victorian flat Foce shared with his absent long-term girlfriend for the evening, confirming via text: “I’m easy as long as it involves wine.”
Describing Foce, a graduate of Cape Audio College, to the jury she said: “He would always hug people when they walked into the room and he calls everyone ‘hon’ or ‘darling.’”
She fell asleep on the sofa next to host Foce, but was woken just after midnight by his actions, she told the trial.
“It was the sensation of his hand,” she explained, describing Foce touching her between her legs. ‘It took me a while to put two and two together of what was happening to me and I was scared.
“I did not think he was capable of doing this to me. I did not know what else he was capable of doing so just thought it was safe just to take it.
“He continued to rub me, stopping and starting,” confirming she did not shout at Foce or tell him to stop.
“He was touching me and then left the room in a hurry and when he came back he touched my face, he kissed my forehead, stroked my face and touched my hair.
“When he finished he turned on the light and said: ‘Wakey, wakey’ and shook me awake.”
She told the jury Foce encouraged her to sleepover in the spare bedroom. “He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. It terrified me.”
Prosecutor Mark Trafford KC told the jury: “The defendant is known to be charming and a hugger, to be tactile,” and had once suggested the reluctant complainant join him in a threesome with his long-term girlfriend.
He had complained to the woman he and his girlfriend were not “compatible in the bedroom” and needed to do something “out there,” the court heard.
“On the evening they had both been drinking, they had a glass or two of wine and she fell asleep,” explained the prosecutor. “When she woke up on the sofa she found her jeans unzipped and her trousers slightly down.”
Foce’s hand was between her legs, the KC told the jurors. “She was totally shocked and frozen by this and she feigned sleep, keeping her eyes closed in the hope it would stop.
“He then stopped and zipped up her jeans and then within seconds unzipped them again and carried on.
“Then he touched her breasts and her face and kissed her. She was completely frozen by this.”
Later Foce sent her text, which read: “I’m such an a***hole. I woke up hoping it was all a bad dream. I’m sorry.”
“I am so sorry I’ve done this, but really want to fix this.”
In her victim impact statement the woman said she had suffered “significant damage to her career and psyche,” adding that night she “felt dirty and ashamed.”
Foce’s lawyer Oliver Kirk told the court: “There are a wealth of character references and they are the tip of the iceberg.
“This was a spontaneous, unplanned aberration three years ago by a defendant, who was of good character and has lost that in the most ignominious way.
“He accepts his convictions and is no longer in denial even though it is late in the day and is a man the courts are very unlikely to see ever again.
“He is very well thought of and is described as a’kind’ and ‘dependable’ and his fiancé of the time continues to support him.”
Recorder Reed added: “You moved the conversation to a sexual one and there was talk of a threesome and you took advantage of her cracking her neck to massage her.
“I have no doubt alcohol impacted your behaviour that night and as she slept you unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans.
“She was frozen and in shock and was scared and realised she did not know you at all and she thought it was safer to ‘take it’ and ‘take it’ is what she had to do.
“She was fully aware of what was happening and was awake, but pretended to be asleep and says the whole ordeal laster twenty minutes.
“When you heard about the complaint a witness says your face went white and you were clearly trying to apologise to the complainant, because you realised what you had done.
“She was particularly vulnerable and this was a sustained incident. Not only was she asleep, but she was also alone in a storage house in an area of London she was unfamiliar with and with a man she realised she did not know.
“You clearly took advantage of the situation and you told the Probation Officer you were remorseful for your actions although you could not remember and were in drink.
“It is obvious your conviction will bring great shame,” added the Recorder, ordering Foce to sign the sex offenders register for life and imposing an indefinite restraining order, prohibiting him contacting the victim.
Foce wrote a letter to Recorder Reed, saying: “I feel extremely ashamed and embarrassed and I am sorry for any harm that may have been caused.
“I am very sorry that she has had to go through this awful process.”
Foce will have to serve a minimum of three years in custody before he can be considered for parole.
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