Moffat Konofilia

Moffat Konofilia, a 48-year-old former resident of the Bibby Stockholm barge and ex-footballer for the Solomon Islands national team, was sentenced at Poole Magistrates’ Court for sexually assaulting a teenage girl on Weymouth Beach. The incident occurred on 15 December 2023, when Konofilia, who had been in the UK for three years seeking asylum, approached the 17-year-old victim during her evening walk.

According to court proceedings reported by the Dorset Echo, the victim left her home around 6pm and was approached by Konofilia, who asked her about activities in Weymouth. They began conversing and walking together, during which Konofilia purchased a vape for the girl and two cans of Stella beer. He appeared friendly but had been drinking, the court heard. The pair sat by the beach, where the conversation turned sexual, and the victim began recording on her phone. Prosecuting, Robert Salame stated: “The defendant leaned forward and kissed (her) twice on the lips, she was saying no, no, no as he did this.” The victim rejected his advances repeatedly and left shortly after, reporting the assault to police the following day.

Konofilia denied the offence but was convicted after magistrates reviewed the audio evidence that contradicted his account. During sentencing, he claimed he had never committed a crime before, respected the law, and was grateful to Great Britain for providing him shelter and food. At the time, he was residing in an asylum accommodation in Coventry, having previously been housed on the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland before its decommissioning by the Labour government last year.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Leah Dillon commented: “Moffat Konofilia ignored his victim’s clear and repeated rejection of his advances and sexually assaulted her by kissing her twice, causing her understandable upset and anxiety. He lied about what happened but was caught in that lie by audio footage. Violence against women and girls will not be tolerated in our society and the Crown Prosecution Service is dedicated to ensuring those responsible for such crimes are brought to justice.” The case was handled under Dorset Police jurisdiction.