Businessman cleared of groping woman at the Amex

A businessman has been cleared of groping a woman after a match his company sponsored at the Amex.

Thomas Welfare, also known as Tom, was accused of grabbing the woman’s bottom after a home game against Watford on 2 February, 2019.

He was charged with sexual assault, but this afternoon a jury found him not guilty.

It can now be reported that Welfare, 39, was ordered to pay more than £60,000 in unpaid child support by Brighton Magistrates Court last year.

Court records show an application from the Child Maintenance Support service for a liability order for £63,950.97 for non-payment of child support from 15 January, 2017 to 5 March, 2021, plus an enforcement fee, was granted on 30 July, 2021.

Welfare, of Oak Grange, Burgess Hill, told Brighton and Hove News this was incorrect, that it had now been “agreed” and the child in question now lives with him.

The quantity surveyor, whose company Sky Construction sponsored the Watford game, was also declared bankrupt in November 2020 at Brighton County court.

Welfare said this was currently being discharged.

Summing up at the Brighton Crown Court trial this morning, Judge Shani Barnes said Welfare was at the match with his wife Laura and his children when the alleged incident happened.

He had been drinking and was in high spirits.

The jury was shown CCTV of him approaching the woman, but it was not clear from the footage exactly what happened.

Recounting the woman’s evidence, Judge Barnes said:  “He wanted her phone number and she said that’s not going to happen and then he grabbed her bottom and she got upset by that.

“His reaction was to put both arms out to give her a huge and she pushed him away and said no.

“Again, he came in and she said no and pushed him away.” The woman immediately reported it to Amex staff.

Judge Barnes also told the jury Welfare declined to answer questions when interviewed by police, but gave them a prepared statement in which he accepted he had approached her, but denied the sexual assault.

During his evidence, he said he had been nothing but polite to the woman and said he did not know why the she had made the allegations.