Ryder Cup winner Thorbjorn Olesen has been cleared of sexually assaulting a woman after mixing sleeping pills and booze on a 2019 flight.
The 31-year-old Danish golfer wept and hugged his partner after being acquitted at a London court of all charges stemming from the British Airways flight to the UK from a World Golf Championships event in Nashville.
Olesen admitted drinking and then taking sleeping pills before he was accused of grabbing a woman’s breast, pushing a female member of the cabin crew and urinating on a first-class passenger’s seat and in the aisle.
The jury at Aldersgate House Nightingale Court deliberated for less than an hour before clearing him of sexual assault, assault by beating and being drunk on board the plane.
After his acquittal, the golfer said he wanted “to apologize wholeheartedly to everyone on board the flight.”
“I do not remember anything that happened after takeoff, but I am embarrassed and ashamed by the account of my actions that was outlined during the trial,” said Olesen.
Danish golfer Thorbjorn Olesen (right) leaves with partner Lauren Zafer after a hearing in his court case at Aldersgate House, in London. AP Photo/Frank Augstein“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,” said Olesen, who was ranked No. 62 at the time but has fallen to No. 432.
“I have learned from my mistake and will make sure I never put myself in a similar position again,” he promised.
“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, a five-time winner on the European Tour, was arrested on July 29, 2019, after arriving at Heathrow Airport in London, where he lives.
Olesen called his behavior on the flight — which he hardly remembers — “completely out of character.” AP Photo/Frank AugsteinHis trial heard how he drank beer, red wine, vodka and champagne before takeoff after playing the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational — then also took two melatonin tablets and two Ambiens.
The medications can cause side effects including amnesia, loss of coordination and sleepwalking, the jury was told.
Olesen — who had denied the charges — told the court he had wanted to fall asleep on the plane, having played several big tournaments, including the British Open.
“My behavior was completely out of character and nothing like this has ever happened to me before or since,” he said.
“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 trans-Atlantic flight after an exhausting playing schedule.”
With Post wires
