A female nurse from Hounslow has denied sexually assaulting a colleague at West Middlesex Hospital.

Joan Juanico, 38, of Blackburn Way, denies one charge of sexually assaulting the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on October 1, 2007.

Isleworth Crown Court heard today how Juanico allegedly grabbed her colleague’s breast and tweaked her nipple while they were working at the hospital.

Juanico’s alleged victim also told the court a similar incident had happened four years earlier, but she did not immediately report it because there had been no witnesses.

Giving evidence the victim told the court: “I was standing, trying to get some notes out, when Joan thrust her hand into my vaginal area. I was really shocked and taken aback."

The court was told how Juanico struck again when they were both on night duty in the early hours of October 1, 2007.

Juanico and her colleague had been talking about some sweets left on a desk just prior to the attack, the court heard.

Giving evidence the nurse said: “She leant over the desk to get the sweeties and then, out of nowhere, she grabbed my left breast and as she was leaving, tweaked my nipple.”

She said she asked Juanico to stop, but she replied “I can do this if I want to” and then touched the nurse’s groin.

The shocked woman spoke to one of her colleagues about the incident and made an official complaint the next day.

Juanico was arrested in November 2007.

The trial continues.