A NURSE who committed a sexual assault in a Bournemouth nightclub is likely to lose his job, a court has heard.
Tinashe Chibanda, 28, groped a woman at Cameo in the early hours after approaching her and asking for her Instagram account details.
Bournemouth Crown Court heard the complainant had been looking for her friends at the venue in Fir Vale Road shortly after 3am when the incident took place.
After entering her social media profile name on the defendant’s phone, she attempted to leave him.
Prosecuting, Tim Bradbury said: “It was at this point he put his arms round her waist and reached up her dress and put his hand inside her underwear.”
The court hearing on Thursday, February 9, was told she managed to get away when she pretended to know two passers-by and engaged them in conversation.
Security were made aware of the incident, Chibanda was identified and detained in the club, and police arrested him.
In police interview, the defendant said he had been in Bournemouth for a stag do.
He accepted dancing with and kissing women at the nightclub but he denied touching anyone in the circumstances which were alleged by the complainant.
While he was in custody, police took scrapings from under his fingernails and a DNA match was found for the complainant following analysis.
The defendant was interviewed a second time eight months after the incident but said he had little or no recollection of the night in question. He answered no comment to any further questions.
Chibanda, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to a single charge of sexual assault at an earlier crown court hearing.
Mitigating, Francisca Da Costa said: “Mr Chibanda committed one foolish mistake and that had cost him dearly.”
She said he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, which was “committed on impulse”.
Ms Da Costa said Chibanda, of Greenside Close, Bedford, qualified as a nurse at the age of 21 and he had received awards for his work.
The defendant had been suspended by the NHS and he was facing a hearing before the Nursing and Midwifery Council in due course, the court heard.
“It is likely his employment will be terminated,” Ms Da Costa said.
The barrister said the incident took place some time ago – October 2021 – and her client had not committed any further offences in that time.
In sentencing the defendant to a three-year community order, Judge William Mousley KC told Chibanda: “You had a hand in the area of her groin. She looked scared.
“She got away from you by attracting the attention of two people who were passing by.”
The judge added: “You denied the touching and even later when you were confronted with the DNA evidence, you did not make any admissions. You simply made no comment.”
The community order included requirements to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, a 40-day accredited programme and 10 rehabilitation activity days.
Chibanda was placed on the sex offenders register for five years.
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