A man who said he likes to “live life in the fast lane” has been convicted of attacking his girlfriend after accusing her of having a toilet romp at a swingers' party.
On Monday, Patrick Ribbsaeter, 32, of Streatham High Road, was found guilty of GBH against his Thai girlfriend, Wachiraporn Sara-Pod, after repeatedly beating her in his car in the early hours of October 29 last year.
The Old Bailey heard Miss Sara-Pod jumped out of the car in Thornton Heath, Croydon, to escape the clutches of her boyfriend.
She was wearing nothing but a fur coat and was found by a mechanic who called an ambulance, which took her to hospital. She had severe bruising and swelling to her face.
The court heard Ribbsaeter was angry with her after he thought she had sex with another man, which she denied, in a toilet at a swingers party.
The pair were attending a Killing Kittens party with another group of couples.
Earlier in the trial, Ribbsaeter denied beating her and said he only slapped her later on in the evening as she was “wasted” and “wired” on cocaine.
He told the court he was open-minded about Miss Sara-Pod “getting with” other guys and was only upset with her due to the state she was in.
Ribbsaeter drank four plastic cups of champagne and two glasses of vodka during the evening, the court was told, and about 1am he started to look for her. The male model went upstairs to the fourth floor where the toilet was.
He knocked on the door and a man opened it, jurors heard. The man was half naked and Miss Sara-Pod was in the toilet cubicle while there was another woman in the corner.
Safora Syed, defending Ribbsaeter, asked him how he knew she was having sex in the toilet.
He said: “I knew they were having sex as I could hear noises coming from inside.
“I was worried for her as she was wasted and he could have taken advantage of her.”
Ribbsaeter left her at the party and went with a friend to the British Luxury Club. Miss Sara-Pod eventually caught up with Ribbsaeter, but the pair did not speak at the club, the court was told, as he was still upset with her.
He left the club about 5.30am to collect Miss Sara-Pod’s car that was parked in Soho.
She arrived an hour later by taxi after the pair spoke on the phone.
Ribbsaeter told the court: “She slapped me in the face and asked me why I had left her at the club. “She was hysterical.
“I slapped her on the side of her face so she could get a grip of herself. She stumbled back and fell over, then just sat down on the floor.”
Ribbsaeter will be sentenced on August 12.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here