Man denies sex assault of city club bar-dancer
A SUPPORT worker accused of sexually assaulting a woman as she danced on the bar at Coyote Ugly in Cardiff told a court that he was just trying to pay for a drink.
21-year-old Keir Jamieson is accused of touching the woman while she was dancing at the nightclub in St Mary Street.
Jamieson, of New Road, Aberbargoed, denies the charge, claiming the contact was accidental as he was attempting to pay for a drink.
Cardiff Crown Court heard that Jamieson was out drinking with friends and family from about 5pm on Saturday, March 2.
The group made their way to Cardiff on a pub crawl and ended up at Coyote Ugly, where the alleged incident happened just before 1am.
Jamieson said he was in the middle of paying a barmaid for drinks when the complainant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, lowered herself down on the bar as part of a dance move. He is then alleged to have reached out and touched her crotch.
The jury was shown CCTV which showed the defendant reaching over the bar between the woman’s legs.
Prosecutor Peter Donnison said: “The bar is slightly wider than a regular bar where there are dancers up and down through the evening.
“The defendant goes towards the bar to order a drink and there comes a point where the barmaid said not to pass over any money.”
Mr Donnison then described how the woman performed a dance move which saw her lower herself down on to the bar.
“The defendant put his hand between her legs and touched her crotch,” said Mr Donnison.
In a victim statement read to the court, the woman described how she felt a hand touch her so she turned around and told the defendant: “Don’t f***ing touch me.”
She said she immediately got off the bar and left the area.
A member of security was alerted to what had happened and Jamieson was removed from the bar.
The woman said she has been left feeling scared and shaken.
Local restaurant manager Thomas Michael Ryan, who was at the bar at the time, told the court he saw the defendant put his hand between the woman’s legs with his palm facing upwards.
In interview with police, which was read out to the court, Jamieson insisted his palm was facing downwards.
Giving evidence, Jamieson did not deny contact had been made but claimed it was an accident and a result of attempting to offer the barmaid money.
“I thought I could just see a gap and I thought I could put my money through. When I realised contact was made I just pulled my hand straight back,” said Jamieson.
He said he became instantly aware that there was contact made with the woman.
Adam Sharp, defending, asked Jamieson how he had felt when he made contact with the woman’s crotch.
He replied: “I thought it was the wrong time to pay.”
Jamieson said that it was the first time he had been to the bar, and when asked by the prosecution if he remembers seeing the numerous signs that say not to touch the women dancing, he said he did not.
He has no previous convictions and Judge Neil Bidder QC said he was a man of extremely clean character.
Jamieson’s girlfriend of three years, Abbie Nicole Jones, 21, who was present on the night in question, gave a character statement in which she said he was “loving, caring, supportive”, adding: “I couldn’t want anything more.”
The trial continues.