Financier guilty of sex attack on ‘comatose’ party-goer

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.