Di Francesco allegedly met the woman in Daly’s Wine Bar on The Strand in Central London
Defence
barrister Di Francesco, who has represented defendants against sexual
assault charges, then tried to force the woman to have sex with him, it
is claimed.
Dilichi
Onuzo, prosecuting, said: ‘They chatted for an hour until closing time.
He told her he was a barrister, she did not believe him so went on
Google to check. They had a conversation about whether he had a wig and
gown.’
The
woman said it was the third bar she and a female friend had been to
that night and she had shared champagne and wine and consumed up to
three double vodkas.
She
was reassured by Di Francesco’s profession, adding: ‘There was then a
level of trust. I work at a law firm and there’s an interest, something
in common.’
The
complainant showed him a picture of her in a bikini on her phone,
saying: ‘That’s when he said I had a really nice bum. It was a flirty
comment.
'His whole demeanour was quite arrogant, he knew we were taken aback by what he did for a living and played on that.’
Di
Francesco told the women he lived with his father. ‘He said he could
afford anywhere in London if he wanted to and that reaffirmed his level
of arrogance.’
Miss
Onuzo added: ‘She went to his chambers at 25 Bedford Row and he took
her to his office to show her his wig and gown. She tried on the wig and
gown and he took her upstairs to an office, where there was a large
conference table.
The court heard how the pair had
flirted when the woman refused to believe he was a barrister until he
went online to show her his profile at 25 Bedford Row Chambers
(pictured) in Holborn
'He
tried to kiss her, she moved away. She felt sleepy and lay down on the
floor. He laid down and pulled down her tights and panties and reached
for her.
'She pushed him away, pulled up her tights and pants and he then grabbed her bum really, really hard.
Di Francesco denies sexual assault, insisting that all the touching was consensual and that the complainant had kissed him back
‘Mr Di Francesco asked her “Aren’t we going to have sex?” and she found him aggressive and confrontational.
‘She
started crying and said she was having an anxiety attack, which he
seemed to find funny and started laughing. She threw up and he was
standing behind her.’
During
the assault the complainant said the barrister told her to ‘grow up’
and questioned why she wouldn’t want a one-night stand.
The
woman eventually left by calling an Uber taxi and reported the incident
to her friend. The complainant told the court: ‘Because of his
profession and the level of trust I did not see any danger signs.’
However,
in the chambers building things changed. She said: ‘I was starting to
feel more on edge. It was just two of us in a locked building. He’s
significantly bigger than me. I’m very petite and I was drunk.’
Di
Francesco went in for a kiss, she said, adding: ‘I pulled away because I
was feeling more and more uncomfortable. I could feel the room
spinning, I felt I couldn’t stand for any longer. He lay down, there was
a brief exchange.
'He pulled down my tights and put his hand towards (me). It happened in seconds and that’s when I pushed his hand away.
'He
followed up with: “Aren’t we going to have sex?” The situation had
completely turned from what I thought it was and I said: “No. We aren’t
going to have sex”.
Aren’t we going to have sex?
What Alex Di Francesco allegedly asked the 24-year-old woman
‘He
was starting to get more aggressive in his tone of voice. I was alarmed
and felt at my most vulnerable. I did not know it was not going to
escalate, we were in a locked building and I didn’t know how I could get
away.
‘He
reached around and grabbed my bum and repeated the earlier comment and
said: “You’ve got a really nice bum” and squeezed it hard. He said I was
pathetic for being a 24-year-old girl and not having a one-night
stand.’
The
woman did not tell police about the alleged assault until the next
Monday. She said: 'I blamed myself for the fact I hadn't looked after
myself and I had got drunk.
'It
wasn't until I got more comfortable and I told my mum and my housemates
and they said "no, what he did is wrong and alcohol didn't have
anything to do with it". It's taken a very long time to even consider
being close to someone again.'
Di
Francesco was arrested and questioned by police. ‘He said she was lying
about pulling away from kissing and she had kissed him back,’ explained
the prosecutor.
He said I was pathetic for being a 24-year-old girl and not having a one-night stand
Alleged sexual assault victim
Jennie Dempster, defending, asked why she had chosen to go back to his chambers in the middle of the night.
She said: 'Have you ever been back to someone's offices in the early hours of the morning previously?
'If
you were interested in his job did you not think "that's a plan for
next week? We can do it one evening?". If you were tired and a bit
drunk, why didn't you say "we can do it find other night"?'
Di
Francesco denies sexual assault, insisting all the touching was
consensual and that the woman had kissed him back. He claims the woman
had asked her to lie on the floor with him and 'be the big spoon'.
Di
Francesco was called to the bar in 2008 and was a Lamb Building
Chambers tenant until May 2015. He has been a Middle Temple Hall Inn
member since 2006.
He
won the Middle Temple Keble Advanced International Advocacy Course
Scholar prize, which followed the Harmsworth Scholar Award and Lloyd
Jacob Memorial Award. He was once voted ‘hottie of the week’ by website
‘yourbarristerboyfriend’.
The trial continues.
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