Nine-time Paralympic swimming champion and Conservative peer Lord Holmes has appeared in court charged with sexual assault.
The 47-year-old, who is blind, is accused of touching the alleged victim at a five-star hotel in central London.
It is said to have happened on 7 March.
Holmes, of Richmond in southwest London, was led into Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday by his lawyer and guided to his seat by another member of his legal time.
During a brief hearing, he confirmed his name as Christopher Holmes, his nationality as British, and indicated he intends to plead not guilty to the charge.
In a prior statement, his defence lawyers said their client, who won six gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona Games and another three at the Atlanta Paralympics four years later, “denies any wrongdoing and intends to vigorously defend these charges and accusations”.
He was unconditionally bailed to next appear at Southwark Crown Court on 19 August.
In addition to his Paralympics success, Holmes also broke 35 world records.
Following his retirement, he became director of Paralympic integration for London 2012 and took his seat in the Lords a year later.
According to his website, he now dedicates his time to campaigning for more accessible environments for disabled people – and has been asked to head a government review that will make recommendations on how to encourage more disabled people to apply for public appointments.
In Westminster, he has sat on a number of House of Lords select committees and introduced a private members bill to tackle unpaid internships.
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