Sex assault case against Sir Philip Green is DISMISSED by Arizona judge

Sex assault case against Sir Philip Green is DISMISSED by an Arizona judge after the billionaire was accused of ‘slapping and grabbing’ his personal trainer’s buttocks at a luxury health resort

  • Court in Pima County Arizona threw out the case against Sir Philip last week
  • Sir Philip, 67, was accused of inappropriately touching Katie Surridge, 38
  • He strenuously denied four counts of misdemeanour assault put against him
  • Today a source close to Sir Philip described his ‘huge relief’ at the news

The sex assault case against Sir Philip Green has been dismissed by a US judge after the billionaire was accused of ‘slapping and grabbing’ his personal trainer’s buttocks at a luxury health resort in Arizona. 

Last May, the 67-year-old was charged with four counts of misdemeanour assault after pilates instructor Katie Surridge, 38, accused him of inappropriate touching in 2016 and again in 2018.

The billionaire chairman of Arcadia, which also owns Burton and Dorothy Perkins, strenuously denied the charges against him. 

A statement by Arcadia said on Monday: ‘At the request of the prosecution the cases alleging assault against Sir Philip Green, due to be heard before The Consolidated Court of Arizona in and for The County of Pima on 20th February 2020, were dismissed by the Order of the Honourable Justice Vince Roberts on 17th January 2020. These matters are now closed.’  

Sir Philip declined to comment on the case today, but a source close to him said: ‘It’s a huge relief for him, a big weight off his shoulders. He can now move on with his life.’ 

The woman, identified as Katie Surridge, 38, told Pima County police that Sir Philip had groped her on two separate occasions and had behaved 'like a creepy old man'

Last May, Sir Philip (left) was charged with four counts of misdemeanour assault after pilates instructor Katie Surridge, 38, (right) accused him inappropriate touching in 2016 and again in 2018

Surridge had told Pima County police that Sir Philip had groped her on two separate occasions and had behaved ‘like a creepy old man’. 

Sir Philip was arrested at his Tucson-area vacation home within the luxury Canyon Ranch property. 

Court documents seen earlier by DailyMail.com showed he was charged with four misdemeanour counts of knowingly touching ‘with the intent to injure, insult or provoke’ – each of which carries a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail and a $500 (£390) fine plus a year’s probation.

Katie Surridge's claims led to the fashion tycoon being arrested in the luxury Canyon Ranch last May

Katie Surridge’s claims led to the fashion tycoon being arrested in the luxury Canyon Ranch last May

He had been due to appear in court last week but lawyers for the fashion mogul asked to have the hearing pushed back until February 20 to give them time to gather more evidence. 

The request was granted, unopposed by the Pima County prosecutor Laura Deakin. 

It was the second occasion that Sir Philip’s case was put back, he had originally been due to appear at a hearing in October. 

Last week Sir Philip’s $68million Gulfstream G650-ER jet was parked on the tarmac at Nice airport in France, close to Monaco where the luxury yacht he shares with wife Tina is moored.

According to flight records, the plane had recently returned from a trip to Kenya where Sir Philip is thought to have been holidaying. 

Surridge is not the first woman to have accused Sir Philip of sexual assault.

In November 2018 former Topshop manager Auna Irvine, 34, claimed the billionaire would slap her backside and comment on her weight during her time working for the company. 

Sir Philip was arrested at his Tucson-area vacation home within the luxury Canyon Ranch property (pictured) in May last year

Sir Philip was arrested at his Tucson-area vacation home within the luxury Canyon Ranch property (pictured) in May last year

The billionaire chairman of Arcadia, which also owns Burton and Dorothy Perkins, strenuously denied the charges against him (pictured: with his wife Tina and daughter Chloe)

The billionaire chairman of Arcadia, which also owns Burton and Dorothy Perkins, strenuously denied the charges against him (pictured: with his wife Tina and daughter Chloe)

Irvine, who worked for the Las Vegas branch and now lives in Marina del Rey, California, told the Telegraph she ‘lived in fear’ of her boss who would often introduce her as his girlfriend.

She said he would also phone her in the night to tell her she was ‘naughty’. Sir Philip has strongly denied the allegations.

Irvine came forward a month after Sir Philip was named in Parliament as the prominent businessman facing a string of workplace grievances ranging from sex assault to harassment.

He had taken out an injunction in London’s high court in a bid to prevent the media reporting the claims but was outed by ex-minister Peter Hain in the House of Lords. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk