Ryder Cup winner Thorbjørn Olesen allegedly grabbed a woman’s breast on a BA flight after drinking alcohol and taking sleeping pills, a court has heard.
The golfer, 31, consumed two glasses of red wine with a sushi platter meal on board a private jet, one vodka and cranberry juice, champagne and prescription pills before boarding the plane from Nashville to London Heathrow in 2019.
Olesen was challenged by cabin staff and ran around cabin like a small boy.
According to one report, he pushed a BA worker and kissed the other before making the sign-of the cross. He also touched a woman’s breast.
He was finally led to his first class seat where he fell asleep. However, a jury later heard him urinating on the seat of another passenger.
Olesen from Chelsea, West London, has denied sexual assault and assault by beating. He was also drunk in an aircraft cockpit on 29 July 2019.
Golfer Thorbjørn Olesen (pictured outside court with his partner) allegedly grabbed a woman’s breast on a BA flight after drinking alcohol and taking sleeping pills, a trial at central London’s Aldersgate House Nightingale Court has heard
Today, he testified before the jury that he never would knowingly risk his career to commit a crime. He also said that he has no memories of the flight from which he took sleeping pills.
Trevor Burke, Olesen’s barrister, asked him about the accusations. Olesen replied that he felt terrible and was sorry. It was unbelievable to me what they said.
“I was embarrassed, and I felt awful.”
Olesen, along with several other professionals such as Justin Rose and Ian Poulter were onboard the flight when the incident occurred.
He said he had not slept well for weeks, having played several big tournaments, including the Open, and planned to go straight to sleep on the plane.
According to the golfer, he had two beers and two glasses each of red and white wine along with sushi onboard a private plane. He also drank one vodka and one cranberry juice just before taking off.
And he took two melanin tablets, which he regularly uses to combat jet lag, along with two Ambien/Zolpidem pills put into his bag by his partner, Lauren Zafer, an accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Olesen stated that he wouldn’t have ever taken the pill if he knew they had side effects like’sleepwalking’ or ‘amnesia.
As he boarded his plane, he said that he felt fine and received a drink. He added: “My last memory was getting champagne and sitting in my chair and I don’t think I ever took off.”
Olesen claimed that he did not recall ever asking for vodka and cranberry or pink champagne, nor getting caught in the bathroom.
Olesen claimed that his memories became blurred after taking the drugs.
He said, “I believe I recall taking off. I’m still not 100% sure.”
Also, he denied ever touching the breasts of a woman or using another person’s seat to urinate on.
He said, “The police entering my chair is the first thing that I recall.”
“I felt scattered all over.” I felt very lost and in shock.
The Ryder Cup winner (pictured sitting on another BA flight) was on a plane from Nashville to London Heathrow in 2019 when the alleged incident took place
Pictured in first class cabin 2016, the golfer sipped vodka, champagne, as well as prescription sleeping pills
Olesen claimed that Olesen’s partner (with whom he has a child) later revealed to him that she experienced several incidents after taking his insomnia pills. These included vacuuming their entire house and eating chocolates from Christmas without recalling.
His response was: “After being arrested, I spoke with police and my girlfriend interrogated me extensively. I confessed to her I used sleeping pills.
“She felt a little guilty and afraid. You have to do one. [pill].
“She said that after some time she began to take one, then two.
“She later gave me some examples.” [of curious behaviour].’
Mr Burke asked, “Had she known that she was having an adverse reaction to the tablet? Would you have given them any consideration?”
He replied, “No, I would not,”
Olesen, who was arrested, had lost lucrative sponsorship contracts with many companies, including Nike, BMW Rolex, Rolex, Titleist and Titleist. Olesen was then expelled from European Tours.
In the meantime, he is temporarily returned to European Tour. However, he struggles to keep his form up and has fallen to number 440 in the world rankings.
He stated that it is difficult to concentrate on the game when one doesn’t know whether they have destroyed their career or if they will ever play again in professional golf.
Max Hardy asked Olesen questions about his party behavior and he said that he hadn’t taken any pills with alcohol “for fun”.
“I had hoped to be able to sleep the whole way to London.” He said that he was not thinking of partying or doing anything.
Olesen stated that he was unsure if other golfers took any pills during the flight, after witness describes a group with brightly colored tablets gathered around Olesen.
The golfer (pictured during the second round of the World Golf Championship) said he felt ‘horrible and embarrassed’ while giving evidence
British golfers Ian Poulter and Justin Rose were both passengers on the BA flight between Nashville and London.
Olesen photographed during round three of the World Golf Championships, July 27, 2019,
Mr Hardy inquired: “Did your flight include any additional pills?”
Olesen claimed that he didn’t remember and doesn’t know what he did.
According to the barrister, “It was your decision what drink you chose that day…and you also choose what pills you take. I would suggest you don’t think about how they might affect you when you were taking those pills.”
Olesen responded: “Yes, I cared.” Olesen replied: ‘Yes, I did care.
The trial is continuing.