Man found guilty of sex assault on sleeping woman

A man has been convicted of sexually assaulting a woman who awoke to find him touching her without consent.

Amardip Dhariwal, 55, of Derley Road, Southall, was found guilty of assaulting the woman at his Bracknell home after they spent a night socialising in May 2022.

She pretended she was still asleep as the assault concluded, fearing how Dhariwal would react on being disturbed. But once it was over, she fled, called a friend for help and later reported him to the police.

Dhariwal was found guilty of one count of sexual assault by penetration on Tuesday following a trial at Reading Crown Court.

Dhariwal, who worked for British Airways as an in-flight cabin crew lead, is due to be sentenced at the same court on 29 October.

He was earlier charged by police with other offences, including two counts of rape against two other women, in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Those were dropped as the Crown Prosecution Service did not have jurisdiction to prosecute him.

But the women's evidence were heard during the trial as bad character evidence against Dhariwal.

Det Con Clare Hickman, from Thames Valley Police, said: "I would like to commend the courage of the victim in coming forward to report this offence and for remaining engaged throughout the investigation and court process.

"I also commend the strength and integrity of the two other women who supported this case by providing bad character evidence in the interests of justice, not only for themselves but for one another.

"All three women have shown remarkable resilience, courage and dignity throughout.

"I hope this conviction provides them with a sense of justice and supports them as they continue to move forward with their lives."