A convicted sex offender from the Salisbury area is accused of using a woman’s hand to perform a sexual act on him against her will while she slept - and filming it.

Phillip Southgate, 47, was arrested in October 2019 in relation to a video in which he used a woman’s hand to touch himself inappropriately.

UPDATE - Not guilty verdict given

The alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was asleep at the time of the alleged offence.

Southgate is facing a single charge of causing someone to engage in sexual activity without their consent, which he has previously denied.

During a trial at Salisbury Crown Court today (May 5), a jury heard that on July 7 2018, Southgate was lying on a bed next to the complainant.

While she was asleep, he apparently filmed himself touching her breasts and belly and grabbing her hand to allegedly perform a sexual act.

‘I was shocked’

Giving evidence in court, Southgate’s accuser said she was “really shocked” to see the video when he sent it to her.

However, she only reported it to the police 14 months later.

Asked why she waited so long, she told the court: “I was embarrassed, I was hurt, ashamed.”

After officers checked Southgate’s phone following his arrest, the 32-second video was recovered.

The alleged victim denied consenting to being filmed or being aware of videos of a sexual nature being taken while she was asleep.

Prosecutor Richard Tutt told the court that the recording “plainly amounted to sexual activity”.

He added: “In so far as the issue of consent is concerned, there is an evidential presumption that if a complainant was asleep at the time of the relevant act, the complainant is to be taken not to have consented to the relevant act unless sufficient evidence is adduced.”

‘Just a bit of fun’

While giving evidence, Southgate told the court he had taken the video to prove to the woman that she was a “heavy sleeper”.

“It was just a bit of fun between the two of us because she said that I couldn’t prove that she was a heavy sleeper,” he told officers.

“It wasn’t for sexual gratification,” he insisted.

Previous conviction

During the trial, the jury was told of Southgate’s previous conviction for voyeurism.

In 2016, he was found guilty of two counts after filming himself having sex with a woman – he had assured her that CCTV had been turned off – and filming a woman getting changed.

Both offences took place at his car window tinting business in 2014 and 2015.

The trial continues.

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