Woman faces trial after club-goer sexually assaulted

Jennifer Mallee pounced on her first victim while she was in a zombie-like state after her drink was spiked, it is alleged.

Mallee locked the 22-year-old in a cubicle of the female toilets and then indecently assaulted her, a jury heard.

Almost three weeks later Mallee went to another nightclub in Bournemouth where she targeted a second young woman.

On that occasion she trapped her victim in a toilet cubicle and sexually assaulted her by placing her hand up her skirt.

A court heard that the first victim tried to put the attack behind her and did not report what happened to the police.

It was only when she read an article in the Bournemouth Echo newspaper about Mallee being sentenced for the sex attack on the other woman that she came forward.

She commented 'that happened to me' on a Facebook post about the article which prompted the second woman to contact her, the court heard.

The two victims, who did not know each other at that point, met up in a cafe to share their experiences, it was said.

Charles Gabb, prosecuting, said the first victim then plucked up the confidence to report the attack on her to the police.

Mallee, 28, has now gone on trial charged with four counts of sexual assault.

She denies the charges and claims the complainant has made it all up.

Mr Gabb said the attack happened on New Years Eve 2018 when the victim met up with Mallee at the DYMK nightclub in Bournemouth.

He said the complainant was fine one minute and then suddenly lost control after her drink was spiked.

Mr Gabb said: "We can't prove that this defendant was responsible for the drink spiking but when you listen to (the complainant's) explanation of what happened to her, it would suggest an irresistible inference that something was given to her.

"She was fine when she got there but before long she wasn't. While she was awake, she felt as if she had lost control of her body. It was a frightening experience and she was like a zombie.

"There came a time when the complainant knew she had to go to the loo. Jennifer Mallee took her by the hand and took her to the lavatory.

"She leads (the complainant) into the ladies lavatory, she leads her into a cubicle and shuts the door behind her and it is then that she takes awful advantage of the situation.

"She then starts to sexually assault her inside the small confines of that lavatory."

He said the attack lasted long enough for other clubbers to bang on the door as they wanted to use the loo.

Mr Gabb said: "(The complainant) was able to get the door open and she knew she had to get out of there post-haste.

"From that time on she felt humiliated and embarrassed and distressed by what had happened to her.

"She knew Jennifer Mallee was a lesbian but didn't expect anything like that to happen. She had never given Jennifer Mallee any indication it would be ok to do that to her. It came out of the blue.

"Then three and a half years later...the unexpected happens.

"She was assaulted on January 1, 2019, 19 days later Jennifer Mallee sexually assaulted another young lady in circumstances very similar to this - a young lady in a nightclub ladies cubicle."

Mr Gabb said the first victim's ex-boyfriend read about the outcome of the second case in May 2022.

He said: "He sent her a screenshot of the article and said 'is this you?' He thought (she) was the complainant.

"This was news to (the complainant). It brought it back to her mind - there was Jennifer Mallee doing it to someone else three weeks after she had been assaulted.

"(She) goes to the website of the Bournemouth Echo and reads the article and types in a message on the Facebook page 'this happened to me'."

Mr Gabb said the second woman read this and made contact with the first victim.

He said: "Both of them had been sexually assaulted by the same person and they arranged to meet in a cafe. They told each other of their own experience and (the complainant) found the strength and courage to tell the police."

Mallee denies the charges and the trial at Bournemouth Crown Court continues.