Somali man denies sexually assaulting teenager in park

A Somali man has denied sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman in a Bournemouth park and told a court that he only kissed her after she had kissed him.

Abdinasir Elmi, who was staying at the Roundhouse Hotel in the Dorset seaside resort, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by touching on April 22 2025.

The trial has heard that the 26-year-old is accused of walking with the teenager to a bench in Bournemouth Gardens – after her friends had gone home – where she alleges he sexually assaulted her.

Giving evidence with the assistance of a Somali interpreter, Elmi told the court he walked with the woman to the bench with her two dogs, where she made a phone call.

He said he sat “very close” to the complainant and she passed the phone to him at one point and he said hello to the man on the call.

Elmi said that after the complainant finished the call she “put her arm around my neck and kissed me and I kissed her back and I put my hand around her stomach on top of her clothing, that is all that happened”.

He added: “She kissed me and I kissed her back three times.”

Elmi said he did not touch the woman’s skin, breasts or between her legs.

He added that the complainant then left him and returned to the bus station to meet the friend from the phone call and he returned to his hotel.

Elmi added: “She was happy, she didn’t have any problems.”

The defendant denies the charges and the trial continues.