Thorbjørn Olesen after being cleared: "I have paid a HEAVY price for my mistake"
The Danish pro, and former Ryder Cup winner, was cleared by the jury of all charges after less than an hour.
Thorbjørn Olesen wept in the dock as he was cleared of sexually assaulting a woman on a transatlantic flight.
A jury took less than a day to clear the Danish golfer, 31, of three charges relating to a British Airways flight he took on his way back from WGC FedEx St Jude in July 2019.
During the eight hour flight, the court heard how Olesen had drunk beer, red wine, vodka and champagne before taking off. Jurors heard how he ran around the cabin "like a little boy" and urinated in the aisle before falling asleep.
Ian Poulter was also on the flight and told police he had taken sleeping pills himself but had not given any to the Dane, the court heard.
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Giving his evidence, he said he intended to fall asleep on the plane and took melanin tablets, which he had used regularly to tackle jet lag, along with two ambien/zolpidem pills left in his wash bag by his girlfriend Lauren Zafer.
His barrister, Trevor Burke QC, ran the defence of automatism, telling the court: "His conduct was not voluntary". Character witnesses including fellow Danish golfer Lucas Bjerregaard told of their "shock" of the allegations.
Olesen was cleared on Wednesday at Aldersgate House in Central London, of sexual assault, assault by beating, and being drunk on an aircraft on 29 July 2019 after the jury deliberated for less than an hour following a three-day trial.
Olesen said in a statement afterwards:
"I want to apologise wholeheartedly to everyone on board the flight from Memphis to London on 29 July 2019 who was affected by my behaviour.
"I do not remember anything that happened after take-off, but I am embarrassed and ashamed by the account of my actions that was outlined during the trial. My behaviour was completely out of character and nothing like this has ever happened to me before or since.
"My actions resulted from taking powerful sleeping pills I had not taken before and my sole intent was to ensure I managed to sleep on a transatlantic flight after an exhausting playing schedule. I have paid a very heavy price for my mistake. This case has had a devastating impact on me personally, on my family, and on my career."
He added:
"I have learned from my mistake and will make sure I never put myself in a similar position again. I now want to focus on my golf, free from distractions, and to repay the trust of everyone who has kept faith in me throughout this very difficult time."
Olesen was part of the winning Ryder Cup team in 2018. He was suspended from the European Tour - now DP World Tour - following the allegations and plummeted down the official rankings.
He is nicknamed the Thunder Bear.
Olesen, of west London, denied and was cleared of the charges.
