Gardener 'assaulted woman in bedroom', court hears (From Bournemouth Echo)

Gardener 'assaulted woman in bedroom', court hears

12:00pm Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News By Arron Hendy

A GARDENER pushed a “terrified” woman into her bedroom and assaulted her after going in to use her bathroom, a court heard.

Peter Barney is alleged to have pushed the woman on to her bed before covering her mouth with his and assaulting her.

The 50-year-old denies assault by penetration of a woman he was doing work for in the grounds around the park home where she lived with her partner in Bournemouth.

Anthony Bailey, prosecuting at Bournemouth Crown Court, said Barney, of Verwood Road in Three Legged Cross, was trading in the name of P B Garden Services in October last year.

He said: “He took hold of the woman and pushed her along the corridor.

“He forced her into a bedroom and on to a bed and then held her down while he indecently assaulted her.

“She was terrified.”

He added: “She was violated in her own bedroom.”

The victim was “sickened” when she perceived that her underwear in a cupboard in the bathroom had been moved, the court heard.

Mr Bailey said she hoovered sawdust from the bed that had come off of Barney and had a wash so that she “no longer felt contaminated by what had happened”.

Mr Bailey said Barney later sent the woman a text message telling her to keep the £1,150 he had quoted for the work saying “I don’t want to get into any more trouble over this”.

Barney later told police their contact had been consensual, the court heard.

In a police interview shown on video at court the alleged victim, aged in her 50s, sobbed violently.

She told officers: “When he pushed me I knew something was wrong.

“He was cruel and I was scared.

“He said ‘you don’t mind if I touch you do you?’ and covered my mouth with his and I couldn’t speak.

“There was all this noise outside with chainsaws going.

“Nobody would’ve heard anything but I couldn’t speak anyway because his mouth was on my mouth.”

The case continues.