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Financier guilty of sex attack on ‘comatose’ party-goer
Ben Bailey24 Jul 2009
Guilty: Justin von Tunzelman
A financier who stripped and groped a “comatose” woman after a cocktail party is facing jail today after being found guilty of sexual assault.
Justin von Tunzelman, 37, preyed on the woman who had passed out in a pub alcove after drinking “slippery nipple” cocktails.
Friends moved her into a rest room at an office to sleep off her stupor but the New Zealander sneaked in to take her clothes off.
Lesley Jones, prosecuting, told jurors: “He took advantage when she was unable to say yes or no to what was happening to her and he didn't think
he would be caught.
“The Crown would say it was more than just a deep sleep. She was passed out and she was comatose.”
Von Tunzelman, an investment consultant from Forest Hill, claimed he had suffered drink-induced amnesia but was found guilty of the sex assault on the 29-year-old by a majority of 10-2,
following a week-long trial at Southwark crown court. He was cleared of a second count of sexual assault of fondling the woman in the pub.
Following the verdicts Judge Stephen Robbins said another woman had made allegations about the defendant's “sexual conduct” in the past.
He added that there are also offences of domestic abuse recorded in his homeland.
The judge allowed the defendant bail ahead of sentence on 16 September but said he would have to sign as a sex offender indefinitely.
Giving evidence from behind a screen the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the jury she had no recollection of Von Tunzelman's making advances to her.
Evidence of the assault came from witnesses who were there throughout the evening in the summer
of last year.
Reader views (5)
What matters here is that he TOOK ADVANTAGE of her and lucky for her he got caught. I hope they jail him for a long time. Lets not also forget that her friends moved her to a rest room (presumably so that something of this nature would not have happened). We all do stupid things in our lives and lets face it cocktails can 'hit' very quickly. Dont judge her - judge the bloke who thought he was going to get away with it
- Barbara, sydney Australia, 25/07/2009 11:12
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Hopefully this deviant doesn't have one of our passports so can be deported back to where he came from. But I do feel sorry for the women of New Zealand.
- Sue, London, 25/07/2009 03:52
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If my girlfriend went out to bars getting drunk I would go flipping mental!
- Jules_London, london, 24/07/2009 17:42
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Hard to believe this man comes from the land of the Lord of the Rings - is nothing sacred any more?
- Keith, King's Cross, London, 24/07/2009 16:58
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what a stupid and reckless women, she was out drinking in a place where the man she had been complaining about to the police, was also there. what did she think when she was drinking that much? did she not think how she was going to get home. She has a husband so what about him why did she not make arrangements for him to pick her up rather then sleep in an office. sorry this story sucks she aint no saint.
- Helen, London, 24/07/2009 16:20
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