Guilty verdict for nightshift groper

A CARE home worker has been convicted of sexually assau lt i ng t wo of h is colleagues.

Washington Manenji, 44, was found guilty of groping and inappropriately touching the two women at a home in Dundee in November and December 2017 respectively.

The city’s sheriff court heard Manenji had groped one of the women in a dark room in front of an elderly resident.

Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC described the evidence of the two victims as “utterly compelling” before finding Manenji guilty.

Both women were on nightshift with the dad-of-two when they were groped. One of the women claimed Manenji stroked her arm after giving a bizarre demonstration about how he could break it. The 29-year-old then described how Manenji, who has no previous convictions, sexually assaulted her in darkness.

“I asked Washington to turn the light on but he said nothing,” she said.

“I could see nothing. I bent down to put the radiator on and as I bent down I could feel this big hand grab my bum.

“I just shouted please put the light on and he said sorry.”

Manenji, of Tranent Grove, was found guilty of sexually assaulting the first woman by rubbing his hand along her left breast on November 9 2017 before pulling her close and trying to hug her and rubbing her shoulders without consent

The second woman had her arm seized by Manenji between December 2-3 2017 before being groped in a dark room and also having her shoulders rubbed without consent.

Sheriff Drummond said: “The accused’s evidence was simply one of denial. Nothing he said made me doubt the complainers.

“I remain of the view their evidence was wholly convincing and utterly compelling.”

Sentence was deferred on Manenji until next month for reports. He was placed on the sex offenders register.

Manenji