Danish golfer Thorbjorn Olesen grabbed a woman’s breast and urinated on a first-class seat after taking alcohol and sleeping pills on a British Airways flight from the US to London in 2019, a court heard on Monday.
The Ryder Cup winner denies charges of sexual assault, assault by beating and being drunk on an aircraft.
British media reporting the start of his trial said that the court heard how the Dane, now 31, allegedly pushed a cabin crew member during the July 29 flight from Nashville, Tennessee, to London’s Heathrow Airport.
Photo: Reuters
Olesen, a five-time European Tour winner, said he had no recollection of his behavior on the flight that he boarded after competing in the World Golf Championships-FedEx St Jude Invitational in Memphis, Tennessee.
British golfers Justin Rose and Ian Poulter were also on board.
In a statement read in court, cabin crew member Sarah White said that Olesen pushed her on the shoulder when she helped him back to his seat after he struggled to leave a toilet.
“During the flight, Mr Olesen assaulted me and failed to listen to my instructions,” she said. “Through my 27 years of service, I have never come across such bad behavior on board a flight.”
A woman, who cannot be identified because she is an alleged victim of a sexual offense, said in a statement that Olesen grabbed her hand and began kissing it.
“He had his right hand around my back. He then grabbed my breast and moved his hand over my right breast. I felt shocked,” the BBC quoted her as saying.
Back in his seat, Olesen woke up and urinated on another passenger’s seat and the aisle.
When he was arrested on arrival, he told police that he had taken sleeping pills and five or six drinks to “knock himself out.”
Poulter said he helped take Olesen back to his seat.
“He looked a little bit worse for wear and I just assumed he had too much to drink,” he added in a statement.
The trial at the Aldersgate House Crown Court continues.
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