Student’s sentence for grabbing breasts during sex is overturned

A MEDICAL student convicted of indecent assault for grabbing a woman’s breasts during consensual sex has had his conviction quashed.

Philip Queree, 37, met the woman, whose identity is protected, on Tinder and they had what was described as “rough” sex on their second date.

But Mr Queree was later taken to court for repeatedly grabbing her breasts too hard and pulling her hair during intercourse. Despite consenting to sex with Mr Queree, the victim claimed she had said she did not want her breasts touched.

Mr Queree’s promising career in medicine was left in ruins and he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for five years after the trial last August.

But Jersey’s Royal Court yesterday quashed the conviction after ruling that the magistrate in the original case had “gone wrong in a material way”. David Steenson, the advocate representing Mr Queree, said that the appeal was based on a matter of law and that there was insufficient evidence in the case for Bridget Shaw, the magistrate, to have come to the decision she did. He said that the charge of indecent assault was never appropriate for the case and that his client should have been charged with common assault or grave and criminal assault instead.

The advocate added: “Right-thinking members of society wouldn’t think that touching your partner’s breasts during consensual lovemaking would be indecent. It is nothing out of the ordinary, it is implicitly accepted.”

Conrad Yates, prosecuting, maintained the assault was indecent because Mr Queree had touched a “sexual” part of the complainant’s body. Sir William Bailhache, the bailiff, said that the court was satisfied that the “magistrate went wrong in a material way” and set aside Mr Queree’s conviction.