Fast-food shop worker feared man would rape her, Leicester court told

A lone fast food shop worker shouted in vain for help as a man sexually assaulted her in a store room, a jury heard.

During the first day of a trial at Leicester Crown Court yesterday, the woman, in her 20s, said she tried to fight the man off to save herself, fearing she was going to be raped.

She said she screamed even though there was no one around to help.

Maciej Skowronski (22), of Hamilton Street, Highfields, Leicester, denies sexually assaulting the shop assistant.

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The court was told the attack was believed to have taken place in a city centre fast food outlet at 6am on August 17 last year.

The alleged victim, who gave evidence from behind a screen, said she was preparing to open the shop when a man knocked on the door begging to use the toilet. She said she reluctantly let him in.

As he went to use the lavatory, she went to fetch some food from a fridge in a store room and turned round to find the defendant in the doorway.

She told the jury: "I said you're not allowed in here, it's a staff area."

The man allegedly refused to leave and kept saying, "You're beautiful," and "You need me."

The woman said she told him there was a camera and that if he did not leave, she would call the police.

CCTV footage of part of the alleged incident, where there appeared to be a scuffle, was shown in court.

The woman said: "I was very scared. I was praying to my God."

She claimed the man tried to kiss her and she slapped him, before he allegedly gripped her wrists with one hand while indecently touching her under her clothing with the other hand.

She said: "I thought he was going to rape me. I struggled and tried to kick him. "I was crying and shouting 'help me, help me'."

The man then left her in a distraught state, it was claimed.

Victoria Rose, prosecuting, told the court that, after the incident was reported, police issued a media appeal with a street CCTV picture of Skowronski.

The defendant referred to a press report of the incident, with the police photo, on his Facebook page.

When officers searched his home, while he was out, they found a distinctive T-shirt he wore during the assault, the court was told.

Skowronski handed himself in a few days later, on September 19, claiming nothing sexual had taken place.

In interview, he said he was on his way home from a night out when he asked to use the toilet.

He said he went into the store room and the woman panicked, slapped him and began screaming, but that he did nothing other than hold her shoulders to reassure her.

The alleged victim disagreed with the defence's suggestion that Skowronski had asked her for items of value to steal.

The trial continues.