Thame consultant on trial for sex offences
A COURT heard today how a Thame hair consultant allegedly grasped the face of a patient during a head massage and tried to force her to commit a lewd act with him.
Praminder Mankoo, who runs ‘Hairology’ in Thame, is on trial for two offences of indecent assault and nine of sexual assault against women who had sought his help for hair or scalp problems.
This, the first witness called in the case, an unmarried mother at the time, alleged that Mankoo assaulted her in 1998 whilst he was practicing trichology in Maidenhead.
She told the court that he described her underwear as ‘boring’ and suggested that she might like to wear “more sexy underwear and high boots” for her next appointment as it would boost her confidence and self-esteem.
She went on to tell how, as he massaged her head, shoulders and arms and the top of her cleavage, Mankoo suddenly dropped his trousers and pants and used offensive, sexual inuendo. She was very scared, she said, because she knew she was alone in the building with Mankoo and did not want to cause a confrontation.
After what seemed hours, continued the witness, Mankoo apparently seemed to switch suddenly back to, what she described as “professional mode” allegedly saying: “You’re obviously not going to do it,” and left her alone to get dressed. Finally, she said, he tried to get her to make another appointment but she pretented that she did not have her diary with her and said that she would telephone the next day. He then apparently said: “I haven’t lost your custom have I?”
The witness then told the court that when Mankoo phoned her the next day, she pretended to be someone else and said that ‘Miss H’was not in.
Following her complaining about his behaviour to the Institute of Trichology and the police, Mankoo was cautioned by the police and struck off the professional register of the ‘Institute for five years. He never re-applied to join.
When questioned about whether she noticed anything about Mankoo when he dropped his trousers, the witness described scar tissue she had noticed on his abdomen, which she said resembled a burn.
‘Miss H’ will return to the witness box when the trial resumes tomorrow morning at Oxford Crown Court.
Photo: Praminder Mankoo
