Professional masseur cleared of sexual assault after five-day trial

David Facchini was found not guilty following a trial at Teesside Crown Court.

A jury heard Mr Facchini was alleged to have massaged a woman’s breasts during a sports massage at his home in Hartlepool.

Mr Facchini had previously worked in a gym, but worked from home for a time after the gym closed.

The woman went to him after doing a strenuous sporting event the previous day.

She claimed he massaged her bare breasts for ‘about five seconds’ before taking off her knickers and throwing them across the room.

Mr Facchini, who the court heard has several massage qualifications, said he didn’t touch the woman’s breasts or remove her knickers.

He said the woman had had massages from him in the past, and there had never been any problems with her.

“She was fine when she left the last time,” he said. “Very relaxed as clients often are after a massage, she was not at all distressed.

“There was nothing that happened that day which gave me any cause for concern.”

The jury heard extracts from the woman’s facebook page posted at the time in which she said she had had ‘a lovely weekend’.

The woman accepted the post referred to the weekend of the massage, but said she didn’t mention it because she liked to keep her facebook entries ‘positive’.

A character witness who has known Mr Facchini for several years told the court he is honest, trustworthy, and skilled at his job.

Mr Facchini, 47, of Windermere Road, Hartlepool, was found not guilty of sexual assault by a unanimous jury verdict.

Judge Tony Briggs imposed a restraining order on acquittal which bans Mr Facchini from contacting the woman for two years.