Ex-charterhouse pupil ‘groped woman for dare’
A FORMER Charterhouse pupil groped a female arts centre manager for a “dare”, a court heard.
Alexander Broke-smith, 23, allegedly sexually assaulted the woman while attending a joint 18th and 21st birthday party in north London with his girlfriend on July 12 last year.
The couple were with their friends at the bar when the manager came over and asked about the tab.
Mr Broke-smith then cupped her bottom and vaginal area from behind as she chatted to staff, Wood Green Crown Court heard. Mr Broke-smith, of Fulham, west London, denies one count of sexual assault by touching. Jerry Hayes, prosecuting, said the events manager noticed a young man sitting on a high chair at the bar. He said: “The tone of this man made her feel uncomfortable. She told the defendant she was the venue manager. There was a verbal exchange.”
Mr Hayes added: “Then, she felt an aggressive push between, in her words, her ‘butt cheeks’.” Giving evidence, the woman told jurors she yelled “Oi! You!” at Mr Broke Smith, but saw him laughing and joking with his friends.
She said she grabbed him by the wrist, hauled him out of the bar and waited for security. The woman said Mr Broke-smith told her: “It was just a dare. I said I was sorry.” The head of security at the arts centre told the court that Mr Broke-smith said something like, “It was only a joke” when asked to leave.
He claimed he ran away when he was requested to return.
Mr Broke-smith attended Charterhouse in Surrey and read history at the University of Edinburgh after leaving the £38,000-a-year school, according to his Linkedin page. The trial continues.