A Somali asylum seeker who once allegedly trained alongside Olympic champion Mo Farah has been cleared of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
Abdinasir Elmi, 26, a long-distance runner, faced two counts of sexual assault against an 18-year-old woman.
A jury at Winchester Crown Court returned not guilty verdicts on both charges after just over seven hours of deliberation.
Mr Elmi maintained throughout the trial that the encounter was consensual, telling the court the young woman had kissed him first and that he had simply reciprocated.
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Prosecutors alleged the incident took place at around 10.30pm on April 22 last year in Bournemouth Gardens, Dorset.
At the time, the 26-year-old was being housed at the Roundhouse Hotel in Bournemouth.
The athlete, who can complete 5km in under 15 minutes, had been preparing for a 10km cross-country race the following day.
He told the court he had been out for an evening walk when he met the woman.
Abdinasir Elmi faced two counts of sexual assault against an 18-year-old woman
|INSTAGRAM/ADBINASIR1_ELMI
The 18-year-old had been in Bournemouth town centre with her boyfriend and a female friend earlier that evening.
After her boyfriend left, she had planned to get a lift from her friend’s mother.
However, the mother arrived in a two-seater car, leaving no room for both women.
The friend recognised Mr Elmi as she left with her mother, while the 18-year-old asked him to wait as she said goodbye.
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A jury at Winchester Crown Court returned not guilty verdicts on both charges after just over seven hours
| GETTYThe court heard the pair then walked towards a bus stop before the young woman suggested going to Bournemouth Gardens.
He told the court they were sitting “very close” together on a bench when she received a call from her boyfriend.
After the call, she kissed him and he kissed her back, jurors were told.
She then left to meet her boyfriend at the bus station, while Mr Elmi returned to his hotel.
The Somali asylum seeker was being housed at the Roundhouse Hotel at the time
| GETTYThe Somali national confirmed he is seeking asylum in the UK after leaving the East African country in pursuit of a “normal life”.
It is unclear when he arrived in Britain, though he has been a member of Bournemouth Athletics Club since October 2024.
The training club claimed that, back in his home country, he trained alongside world-class athletes - from British Olympian Sir Mo Farah to Belgian runner Bashir Abdi.
Following the verdict, Judge Paul Dugdale told him: “You have been found not guilty by this jury, so you can be taken downstairs, processed, and you should be released, alright?
"Thank you very much, we won't delay you any longer.”
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