911 call reveals Sir Philip Green compared to octopus by Pilates instructor
Video report by ITV News Senior Correspondent Paul Davies
A recording of a 911 call obtained by ITV News reveals Sir Philip Green’s alleged sexual harassment victim compared him to an “octopus” to police.
Pilates instructor Katie Surridge accused the 67-year-old of slapping her backside and grabbing her during classes on two separate occasions in 2016 and 2018.
Sir Philip has been charged with four counts of misdemeanour and will appear in court in the US next month.
He strenuously denies the allegations.
In a 911 call made to the sheriff’s department, Ms Surridge claims Sir Philip “came up behind” her and grabbed her hip.
“He was telling me to keep going as I demonstrated an exercise,” she said.
“He’s like an octopus, he’s very touchy and very grabby and this man – he was told never to touch me again.”
Ms Surridge told police Sir Philip hugged her and put his hand on her buttocks for "an uncomfortable amount of time" and that he said "completely inappropriate comments" during a Pilates session.
Sir Philip did not respond to a request today from ITV News for comment but Arcadia, which is the parent company of Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins owned by Green, previously released a statement strenuously denying the allegations.
What is alleged to have happened?
The allegations Ms Surridge was referring to in the 911 call happened at Canyon Ranch, a luxury resort in Tucson, Arizona where Sir Philip Green owns a holiday home.
In 2016, the retail tycoon is alleged to have "vigorously" slapped the 37-year-old's bottom up to 10 times.
A homeowner at the resort, described by police as an independent witness, said she saw Sir Philip grab Ms Surridge with his "octopus-like hand".
Kimberly Khoury told police: "I see his hand go reach out and like, pat her buttocks.
"And then pat it again and like, grab her buttocks. And then she kind of moved, like, startled a little bit. And took like a step away."
They continued talking before he grabbed Ms Surridge's bottom again, Ms Khoury alleged.
She continued: "And like, slaps, you know, spanks it, whatever, so like, taps it. And then grabs again and this happened in the course of like a minute-and-a-half, or two minutes. He did that three or four times.
"It was pretty clear that, to me, that she wasn't welcoming the behaviour."
Ms Surridge said she reported the incident to management, but she told police Sir Philip came back for another class in January 2018.
"This time, instead of slapping my butt, he puts his hands, like, he wraps his hands around my waist and then grabs my butt cheek and just puts his hand there and just holds it there as he's hugging me," she claimed.
He went on to make inappropriate comments and pat her exposed stomach as she demonstrated an exercise, she alleged.
"And then the session ended and I immediately went upstairs to (management's) office and I was in tears and I said, 'He was told never to touch me again and here he is touching me again'," she told police.
Sir Philip’s charges related to counts of knowingly touching another person with the intent to injure, insult, or provoke.
Each count has a potential sentence of up to 30 days in the Pima County jail, a fine of no more than £400 and up to one year of probation.
A court date was set at Pima County Justice Court for June 19, but Sir Philip did not have to attend and was represented by his lawyer.
Sir Philip has previously denied the allegations investigated by the Pima County Sheriff's Department.