Former special advisor to Sir Michael Fallon goes on trial accused of groping a partygoer

A former special advisor to Sir Michael Fallon groped a woman at a Christmas party after complimenting her on her looks, a court has heard.

Richard Holden, 33, was working for the former Defence Secretary, when he allegedly attacked the 24-year-old woman in December 2016.

While hugging her goodbye, Mr Holden is accused of putting his hand inside her coat and up her skirt before touching her intimately.

Sarah Whitehouse QC, told Southwark Crown Court: "On December 17 there was a party in south-east London.

"There wasn't anything unusual or exceptional about this party which perhaps between 20 or 30 people came and went in the course of the evening.

"All of them were relaxing in the run-up to the festive Christmas season."

The court heard that the alleged victim had been leaving the party at around 11pm when she was approached by Mr Holden on her way out.

The prosecutor said: "He came to say goodbye to her and when he did that he gave her a great big hug and took the opportunity in doing so to put his hands inside her coat and over the back of her skirt and then up her skirt touching her vaginal area over her underwear.

Ms Whitehouse added: "At the time he was working as a special advisor to Michael Fallon, the member of Parliament for Sevenoaks but also at the time the Secretary of State for Defence."

The court heard that throughout the evening Holden had approached the alleged victim and been "complimentary" about her appearance, telling her she was "beautiful".

Following the incident the alleged victim contacted a friend over the messaging app, Whatsapp writing: "I think I just got groped."

The woman did not make a complaint to anyone until February 2 when she made the allegation of sexual assault to Carrie Symonds, a special advisor to Sajid Javid, who was then the cabinet minister for Communities.

The complaint was also made to Anne Milton, the government's deputy chief whip.

Giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court, the alleged victim told jurors: "He came closer to give me a hug and that's when the incident happened.

"I was putting on my coat and he was going for a hug but an inside the coat hug.

"He was putting his arms around me but within my coat, not outside like a normal hug but inside."

She went on: "I was probably standing still and he's a lot bigger and taller then I am anyway and I could feel more force. I fell back a bit.

"I felt like I was falling, he's quite big compared to me so it's quite forceful.

"His hands were probably on my lower bit of my back just below my waist.

"As I was falling we were kind of moving back towards the wall and his hands were going

lower and one went down behind my skirt and between my thighs and between my tights and underwear."

Breaking into tears, the woman said she felt his fingers touch her for "two or three seconds" but said it "felt like longer".

She told jurors she had not anything to drink at the party but believed he was 'under the influence'.

The alleged victim told the jury: "I think he was quite drunk early on in the evening. He made me feel quite uncomfortable, he kept saying 'you're so beautiful' and 'look at that smile'.

"He kept giving me hugs. I had seen him around in social settings before and I never saw him doing that to anyone else.

"The fact he kept saying 'you're beautiful' and 'your smile' it made me think he was under the influence.

"I think he was quite red in the face as well and the fact he had been there the whole night - I got the impression he was drunk from the moment I arrived."

The court heard that Mr Holden was pulled away from the woman by his flatmate who told him to "get off".

The alleged victim explained: "Then I was really angry. I went over to my friend and I just said 'let's go'."

She said she did not initially report the assault, saying: "I didn't realise it was a crime. I thought I had just been groped and this was just a thing that happened at a party.

"I hadn't acknowledged it. I didn't think it would happen to me."

She said a friend encouraged her to come forward to prevent it happening to other women.

"What happened to me isn't as bad as what could have happened, and could happen to another woman", she said, "that's the reason I reported it".

Mr Holden denies one count of sexual assault and the trial continues.

The trial continues.