Man admits spraying herbal remedy at woman in hopes of sex Published duration 4 January 2017

image copyright PA

A man has admitted spraying a lavender-infused herbal remedy into a woman's face in the hope it would make her want to have sex with him.

Gundogan Dursan, 47, had not realised the substance was an over-the-counter natural sleep aid.

His victim was awoken by "a sensation of liquid landing on her face", and found Dursan standing by her bed, the Old Bailey heard.

Dursan, who admitted common assault, was handed a year-long community order.

His victim said she was left "shocked" and "feared for her safety" when she awoke to find Dursan had sprayed the liquid at her.

'Not hypnotising agent'

Prosecutor Nick Wayne said the woman, who cannot be identified, "saw Mr Dursan standing by her bed and it seemed to her he was trying to conceal something in his hand".

When she confronted him, Dursan would not say what was in the bottle which turned out to contain lavender, vetiver and wild camomile, he said.

At first, Dursan claimed to be looking for something, but later admitted spraying the woman's pillow in the hope she would have "long time sleep" so "she might have intercourse with me".

Mr Wayne said the product was freely available over the counter at chemists and was not the kind of substance that had any "powerful hypnotising" effect.

He said its chemical impact as a sleep aid was "unclear".

Police brought charges against Dursan from Enfield, north London, after the woman told her therapist about the incident last summer.

The prosecution offered no evidence to a second charge of administering a substance with intent to stupefy and overpower to engage in sexual activity, which Dursan had denied.

Dursan, who had no previous convictions, spent 11 days in jail ahead of the court case as well as 17 days on a tagged curfew.

Marie de Redman defending said: "He did not have any sinister intentions... It was perhaps not the most sensible thing to do."

Dursan was handed a year-long community order with a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement plus a victim surcharge of £85.

Sentencing, Judge Stephen Kramer QC told him: "Had what you did been more serious, the court would have taken a different view - and a more serious view.