CARTERTON CONTRACTOR GUILTY OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AT WORK
A civilian contractor named Douglas Varney was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman during work at Brize Norton.On trial at Oxford Crown Court, it was established that Varney, 59, was charged with two counts of sexual assault, specifically incidents involving touching a woman's bottom.
The first incident involved a 'strong' slap and took place on August 6, 2022, when Varney followed the woman into a locker room and physically touched her.
The woman, who knew Varney through work and was referred to as ‘Reggie’ because he resembled actor Reg Varney, reported feeling shocked and unsure of how to react.
She confided in colleagues, leading to a discussion about modern workplace boundaries.
The second incident, on August 29, 2022, involved Varney allegedly touching the woman’s buttocks again while she was sitting and then continuing to speak to her as if nothing had happened.
However, the jury convicted him only for the first incident and found him not guilty of the second.
Varney, who represented himself during the trial, denies all allegations, claiming they are false.
The court will sentence him on April 22.
The woman had reported the incident first internally and then to police after workplace escalation.
During the trial, it was also discussed that colleagues told her that workplace behavior has changed over the years.
Varney lives on Strathmore Close, Carterton.
The case highlights issues of inappropriate conduct in workplaces and resulted in a conviction for sexual assault, with sentencing scheduled for April 22.
