A County Durham man who was a Wimbledon tennis tournament players’ bodyguard has been convicted of molesting and trying to rape a woman after the pair enjoyed a drink and cocaine.

Phillip Harrison, 32, of Littlewood Close, Browney, near Durham, pleaded not guilty, but was unanimously found guilty of attempted rape, plus a count of assault by penetration.

He was remanded in custody at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court until sentencing on October 22.


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“I woke up to Phil in my bedroom. He was in bed with me naked,” the woman told the jury via a police video-recorded interview.

“I said: ‘What the f*** are you doing in my bedroom?’ and the next thing he was beside me.

“He just kind of laughed it off a little bit. He undressed and climbed into bed with me."

The woman said he was kissing her back, neck and ears and was putting his hand on her breast and kept trying to put his hand between her legs.


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She said: “I told him to leave and he said I was moody. I rolled over onto my stomach so the mattress was protecting most of the parts of my body and he sat on top of me.”

She told the trial she did not really know anything about Harrison, apart from him being a Geordie, and had no real contact with him before that evening.

Prosecutor Charlotte Newell told the court Harrison had been texting his affections to the complainant throughout the evening and had twice tried to kiss her when they were drinking in her room, along with another male.

“He twice tried to kiss her and she rebuffed his advances, but continued making sexual overtures to her by text,” Ms Newell told the court.

She said Harrison also tried to “tempt her with more cocaine” and texted her saying: ‘I’m coming for a cuddle. LMAO.’

“The Crown say Mr Harrison relentlessly pursued her for a sexual encounter,” said Ms Newell.

“He would not take no for an answer and persuaded reception staff to allow him access to her corridor and access to her room.

“He walked into her bedroom, where she was naked in bed. He undressed and got into bed, lying behind her."

He added: “She rolled onto her front to stop him touching her and he climbed on top, pinning her down.”

Eventually Harrison left the woman’s room, but continued sending her texts.

“He told her he would lose everything and his life would be over if she reported him,” said Ms Newell.

She added: “He confessed to a colleague he had gone too far and expressed suicidal thoughts, saying he could not live with his actions on his conscience.”

She said he had begged the complainant not to report him, but she did and he was arrested three weeks later at a London hotel and was interviewed.

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Ms Newell said: “In a prepared statement he said she enticed him to her room where she had been flirtatious, but nothing had happened.

“He says there was no touching and she is lying about that. He says he did not even take his clothes off and just tried to give her a kiss and cuddle and she was not interested.

“He said he made no sexual advances and was shaken by the allegations.”