Former student found guilty of sexual assault

CN: sexual assault

Oluwadamilola Erogbogbo, 23, a former Cambridge student who played in the Varsity Rugby game, has been found guilty by Cambridge Crown Court of sexually assaulting a fellow student in 2015.

During the trial it was heard that he had been found naked on top of a woman when a friend outside had heard her saying "no, no, no, get off me."

The woman in the trial recounted that she had slept with Erogbogbo in early October back in Fresher's Week. However, she then "distanced herself from him", because she had felt so "pressured" during their second encounter.

The court heard the pair were said to have had a "blazing row" in a nightclub the same evening before the woman returned to her college with a friend. In this argument Erogbogbo said he had felt upset because he'd been described as a "rapist."

He then maintains that he returned to get her to apologise for upsetting him in the nightclub. However, the jury heard from the prosecution that he was "uninvited", and it was in this encounter he "completely undressed himself unprompted and pushed her on to the bed." He tried to kiss the woman before climbing on top of her.

The woman had not consented to this and told him "no, please don't". He was eventually stopped by a friend who entered and asked him to leave.

The defendant denied both charges of attempted rape and sexual assault. He told the jury that he "did not touch the woman."

He was cleared for charges of attempted rape but after nearly 15 hours the jury returned. He was bailed to be sentenced for sexual assault in December.

A spokeswoman from the university said: "Our thoughts are with the victim of this awful crime and with her family who have no doubt been deeply affected by this.

"We commend her courage in coming forward, and would like to thank the police for their efforts in what was a complex investigation."