A trainee lawyer sexually assaulted two women while they slept at a party

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A trained lawyer sexually assaulted a sleeping law student at a colleague’s party and molested another woman while she slept on the same occasion.

Tom Haggard was just starting work at one of the world’s largest law firms when he molested a drunk woman while she was sleeping in the party host’s bed.

Minutes later, Haggard touched another woman who was sleeping on the living room sofa.

Read more: Trainee lawyer accused of raping student at classmate’s party

The 29-year-old told the jury that the sexual activity was consensual.

Earlier that same night, Haggard treated his parents and two sisters to a celebratory three-course meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant with his first paycheck in the legal profession before making his way to the £700,000 flat party venue on Fulham Road. in West London.

Haggard, of Filde Road, Southport was convicted of two counts of sexual assault in relation to the first woman and two counts of sexual assault to the second woman.

The jury failed to reach a verdict on the first woman’s rape charge.

Haggard was imprisoned for eight years, recorder Simon Russell Flint told him: “No one thought it would be anything other than a regular party for young people to get to know each other by drinking and dancing and enjoying until your actions came to an end how that night would be remembered.

“The first victim took a lot of drinking and was put to bed and out of kindness and respect for your comfort, you were also invited to sleep in the bed.

“I started touching her almost immediately. This young woman was asleep when you started touching her sexually and she didn’t kiss you or give you any encouragement.

“She had no idea what was happening to her and couldn’t identify her. I was a stranger to her and she didn’t agree with what you were doing and didn’t think she was agreeing to it.

“I went ahead and did what I wanted you to do to this woman, got little or no satisfaction, and went looking for another victim.

“I went into the living room, where the second woman was sleeping.”

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In a victim impact statement, the first woman said the night left her “suffering from chronic stress, anxiety, insomnia and panic attacks,” and added, “It’s impossible to get rid of the nightmares I have in connection with the assaults.

“The defendant’s actions destroyed my personal trust and faith in others. I was ashamed that I did not fight back and I still scold myself about it.”

The second woman, a childhood sexual abuse survivor, said: “Tom Haggard, I don’t hate you. You’re a stranger to me,” said the second woman.

“I hope you can explore why you are the way you are and seek a solution so as not to hurt anyone else. I am sad to lose my old self, I miss her so badly.”

“The past four years have been torture with the expectation of going to court,” she told the court.

Isleworth Crown Court heard that Hagyard arrived at the party, on October 15, 2017, with a bottle of wine, and in the early hours woke up the first victim with Hagyard on top of her.

“We got drunk a lot and I don’t remember much. I took myself to bed and woke up and there was a boy kind of on top of me,” she told the trial.

The woman added, “I was going and losing consciousness and didn’t think I could move. I froze a bit, didn’t resist him or anything.

“I remember trying to push him away. I was staring at a wall for a while.

“I got really drunk, nine or ten out of ten drunk. I kept my eyes slightly closed and I remember feeling confused.

“It was on top of me and I was in pain. I felt like I couldn’t move or resist and my memory would go in and out, and I have flashes.”

Haggard claimed that the second woman invited him to the sofa, where he began massaging her chest.

However, Attorney General Richard Job said: “She also drank quite a bit and slept with her clothes on. She was woken up at half past five in the morning by someone who touched her chest.”

“She was frightened and got up and quickly went to the host’s bedroom.”

Haggard complained that his “distinguished career” had been destroyed even before it began.

It was difficult. I lost my job at the law firm.”

Haggard’s attorney Karina Arden told the court: “This is a horrific tragedy not only for the complainants, but for the defendant and his family, who accompanied him throughout the trial.

“The career he worked so hard for is over. He changed from being a young, confident trainee lawyer who was ambitious and dreamed of working in commercial law.

“He has suffered every day for the past four years and regrets the accident that happened that night in that apartment and will be with him for the rest of his life.”

Haggard will remain on the sex offender list indefinitely and must serve two-thirds of his sentence before parole can be considered.

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