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A court has heard that Ryder Cup winner Thorbjorn Olesen grabbed a woman’s breast on a British Airways flight after drinking and taking sleeping pills.
The trial of the 31-year-old Dane is underway at London’s Aldersgate House Nightingale Court.
Olesen, a five-time winner on the European Tour, stands accused of sexual assault, assault by beating and being drunk on an aircraft during a flight from Nashville to London Heathrow in July 2019. He also allegedly urinated on a first-class passenger’s seat.
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Olesen denies all charges and says that he has no memory of his behaviour after drinking alcohol and taking sleeping pills.
During proceedings today, British Airways cabin crew Sarah White said in a statement read out in court that she had served him a glass of Champagne before take-off followed by a vodka and cranberry juice. She also claims to have seen him drinking pink Champagne from another passenger’s glass.
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Ms
White alleges that Olesen “assaulted” her during the flight and “failed
to listen to my instructions”. She added that, in 27 years of service,
she has “never come across such bad beahviour onboard a flight”.
Another
woman, who cannot be named because she is an alleged victim of a sex
offence, said in a statement that Olesen grabbed her hand and started to
kiss it during the flight.
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“He
would not let go and then nuzzled his face into the nape of neck,” she
said. “I felt he clearly didn’t know what he was doing. He had his right
hand around my back. With his left hand, he then grabbed my breast and
moved his hand over my right breast.
“I felt shocked. He had overstepped the mark.”
Cabin service director Graham Gee told the court that Olesen appeared to be “unsteady on his feet and under the influence of something”. He added that the Danish tour pro “became affectionate by holding my hand and kissing it”.
The court also heard a statement from Ian Poulter, who, along with former US Open champion Justin Rose, was on the same flight.
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Poulter said that Olesen was “in a good mood” and “very jovial” when he boarded the plane. The Englishman added that he had taken some sleeping tablets but had not given any to Olesen.
“I assisted with bringing him back to his seat,” added Poulter. “He looked a little bit worse for wear and I just assumed he had too much to drink.”
The trial continues.
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