A Nigerian man convicted of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman near Bournemouth beach in 2022 has been sentenced to an 18-month community order, avoiding jail time.

The court heard the incident occurred late on August 16, 2022, at Pier Approach, Dorset, where the victim and a friend were socialising before leaving.

According to the prosecution, Ayomide Famakinde, 23, who was intoxicated at the time, approached the victim and put his hands inside her jogging bottoms despite her efforts to resist.

The two fell to the ground as the victim shouted for him to stop. Famakinde was only pulled away by a friend after continuing the assault.

The victim provided an impact statement read in court describing the assault’s lasting effects: “I didn’t see him coming, and I certainly didn’t ask him to ruin my life. He left me crying on the ground, asking for help. When I think about what he did, it makes me feel sick to my stomach. I now am scared of walking alone on the street.”

Famakinde was identified by witnesses at the scene and arrested the following day at a Bournemouth hotel. DNA evidence linked him to the victim, leading to a conviction on one count of sexual assault at Bournemouth Crown Court.

During sentencing, Recorder Nicholas Haggan KC acknowledged Famakinde’s “very troubled background and difficult life,” noting that he had been in the UK care system after moving from Nigeria as a child with his sister.

The judge accepted that Famakinde had shown remorse and matured over the three years since the offence, describing the assault as a “momentary aberration” committed while intoxicated.
“I’m satisfied it was a momentary aberration when you were intoxicated. It is an offence I am, I hope, confident will not be repeated,” the judge said, explaining that a custodial sentence would be too severe. Famakinde was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work under the community order.

Famakinde’s defense counsel described him as a “bright young man with clear potential” who expressed remorse and had no previous convictions.

The victim’s statement and the seriousness of the offence were acknowledged, but the court’s decision emphasised rehabilitation over imprisonment.