A former Labour councillor sexually assaulted a woman at his wife’s leaving do.
Daniel Lee-Phakoe, who represented Plaistow North on Newham Council, pinched the woman’s bottom at least ten times at a cocktail bar near London Liverpool Street Station on May 5, 2023.
The victim said: “The assault itself has left me feeling dirty, disrespected and a worthless woman who had suddenly become the focus of unwanted and disgusting sexual touching, demands for sex in a public toilet and being physically trapped in spite of attempts to move.
“His approach was both violating, aggressive and manipulative in assaulting me in a public place with his wife in the same bar and only a short distance away.
“This has been a horrendous experience. This sexual assault was unforgivable and I made the complaint to stop this happening to other women and to stand up to a sexual predator who has no idea or care of the impact of what he did to me.”
City of London Police said Lee-Phakoe, 38, carried out a series of persistent and unwelcome sexual approaches including repeatedly pinching her bottom.
At one point in the night when Lee-Phakoe had walked away the victim asked her friend to stand beside her.
But the former councillor tried to move the woman out of his way and asked the victim if she wanted to go to the bathroom with her.
Her friend said she had never seen her “so frightened”.
The friend said: “He arrived at the table again and continued to push against me and comments towards the victim for 10 minutes or so.
"I said to him ‘can you please stop and calm down.’
"He stopped pushing but continued to ask her to go toilets with him. After what seemed like an exceptionally long time, he finally left the table."
A jury at Inner London Crown Court found him guilty of one count of sexual assault by touching.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
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