Lord Boateng's son sentenced for sexual assault in Battersea

The son of Britain's first black cabinet minister Lord Boateng has been jailed for nearly four years after being found guilty of committing a sexual assault in Battersea.

A jury had found Benjamin Kwahu Boateng, 27, of Crawford Street in London guilty of one count of sexual assault by penetration at an earlier hearing.

During his trial, the court heard that on Saturday 18th September 2010, the 22-year-old victim and her friend spent the evening socialising in central London. 

 In the early hours they met with friends at a Mayfair club where Benjamin Boateng was also present. They had mutual acquaintances. The victim and her friends then travelled by car to a flat in Altura Towers in Battersea for a private party which Boateng also later attended. 

 She fell asleep on a large sofa to discover she was being sexually assaulted by Boateng, who was lying next to her, before leaving.

 Detective Inspector Sian Thomas, Sapphire, said: "I welcome today's sentence which sends a strong message that sexual offences will not be tolerated. Boateng took advantage of a vulnerable female who was asleep at the time he assaulted her. 

"I would like to pay tribute to the victim who was courageous in coming forward and reporting this incident to the police and giving evidence against him in court."