However, the woman, 22 at the time, said that she wanted to make police aware, should another complaint be raised against him.
And when a complaint was made against former senior prison officer Jason Tardif last summer, officers contacted the woman again and she was formally interviewed.
And Tardif, who was found guilty by the Magistrate’s Court in March of behaving in an indecent manner following an incident in a local massage salon, reappeared in court to face a charge of sexual assault.
The previous incident had occurred in October 2022, the court was told. Tardif, 53, who lives in St Sampson’s, knew the woman and she had expressed an interest in a job at the prison. He left a note on her car inviting her to talk to him and they arranged to meet at his home.
In a video interview shown to the court, the woman said that Tardif had sat on the sofa with her and moved closer as he showed her paperwork in relation to the job. She said he put his hand on her leg, near her knee, during this time. She had also agreed that he could demonstrate a body search on her, but he had not touched her at this time.
As she left the home, he placed his hands on her shoulders and said she had a nice bottom.
Crown Advocate Chris Dunford, prosecuting, said this amounted to sexual touching to form the basis of the case against Tardif. The offence did not need to involve intimate touching.
The woman said that what happened ‘made me shudder’ and thinking about it made her feel sick.
Advocate Alan Merrien, defending, argued that any contact had been accidental and had no sexual intent. He said Tardif denied putting his hands on her shoulders and making the comment.
The woman’s mother also gave evidence. She said that her daughter had seemed ‘shell-shocked’ after returning from the house and she had told her what had happened.
Tardif gave evidence and repeated his denial of all the woman’s claims. He said that had been no indication that she had been uncomfortable in his home.
Crown Advocate Dunford put it to him that because of his position at the prison Tardif did not expect anyone to take him to task about his behaviour and that he was trying to lie his way out of it. Tardif denied this.
In finding the defendant guilty, Lt-Bailiff Russell Finch said he had found the victim to be truthful and honest and referred to how her mother had described her demeanour after the incident.
Tardif will be sentenced next month on both charges and was bailed conditionally.
