US News

Banker cleared of sex assault against wedding guest

A married Brooklyn investment banker has been cleared of sexually assaulting a fellow wedding guest at a London party after his alleged victim refused to testify.

Edward Sappin, 39, walked free from a UK court after a judge ordered the case tossed, according to the London Evening Standard.

Sappin had been accused of attacking a woman at an October, 2012, post-wedding bash held at the bride’s home.

“They arrived around midnight,” prosecutor Peter Nugent said of the woman and Sappin, a father of one who had traveled from New York for the wedding.

“Later [the alleged victim] was extremely tired [and] Mr. Sappin lifted her up from the sofa and ushered her into the bedroom. Her next recollection is of lying on her side in the bed with Mr. Sappin lying behind her.”

The woman claimed Sappin was pressing up against her and that she no longer had on underwear when she woke up.

“He started kissing me. I think that is when I snapped and thought ‘oh my God,’’’ the woman told police. “I ran out of the bedroom into the living room and I just started screaming.”

Sappin’s alleged victim said she’d “definitely” been drinking but was not blind drunk.

Neighbors heard the woman screaming and called cops.

Sappin — an energy specialist and former BP director who now heads the Willowbrook Company, a New York renewable energy firm — said the woman initially consented to the sexual activity.

He said they got in bed together and started kissing, and that he performed a sex act on the woman before she started screaming and bolted from the room.

A jury deliberated for nine hours but didn’t reach a verdict and the case was dismissed.

Sappin was slated to be retried but his alleged victim didn’t want to give evidence.