Former Rocksalt head chef Mark Sargeant says he "vehemently" denies all accusations after a jury in a civil case in the United States found he did sexually assault a member of cabin crew during a work trip in Germany.

Flight attendant Kimberly Goesling sued her former employer, American Airlines, over the incident. As part of her claim, jurors in Fort Worth, Texas, were asked to decide if the celebrity chef – shortly due to open a new restaurant in Folkestone – carried out the alleged attack on Ms Goesling in her room at the Sheraton hotel at Frankfurt Airport in 2018.

Mr Sargeant always denied the allegation that he sexually assaulted Ms Goesling.

He reached a settlement with Ms Goesling and the claim against him was withdrawn some time before the trial. However, the question was asked of the jury at the 342nd District Court in Tarrant County as part of the civil case the one-time American Airlines employee brought against her former employer.

In a signed 'charge of the court' questionnaire put to the 12 jurors, seen by KentOnline, they were asked "did Mark Sargeant sexually assault Kimberly Goesling?"

Although at the end of the trial on May 11 the jury did not reach a unanimous verdict on the question, 10 members - enough to make a finding in a civil case brought in Texas - signed the questionnaire stating that "yes" the sexual assault took place.

Mr Sargeant has previously said he is "deeply ashamed" of the events of that night, but he says he has never admitted to sexual assault and was "horrified" when the allegations surfaced during the legal proceedings between the American and the airline for which she worked. His legal team pointed out that Mr Sargeant had been unable to challenge the evidence in the civil case.

Flight attendant's open letter to former employer after sexual assault case

Responding to the outcome of the hearing in Fort Worth, Mr Sargeant said: "I vehemently deny all accusations of sexual assault.

"I was not invited to attend the trial nor was I represented. I did attend a deposition in the UK to respond only to questions put to me.

"I question how the jury reached the conclusion they did or what evidence was presented to them. No charges, in the UK, the US or elsewhere, have ever been brought against me."

Ms Goesling was part of an American Airlines work trip during which she, Mr Sargeant and others were participating in the selection of a new menu for long-haul passengers.

She alleges that after an evening of socialising on January 18, 2018, the chef went to her hotel room and digitally penetrated her against her will.

Ms Goesling was seeking nearly $26 million in damages from her employer of more than 30 years, claiming senior figures at the airline who were part of the business trip had encouraged Mr Sargeant to make advances towards her.

The jury heard claims that Mr Sargeant was encouraged by an American Airlines manager, Brett Hooyerink, who had been socialising with the chef and told him Ms Goesling was interested in him.

Her legal team had sought to prove that, through the actions of its employees, the airline bore some responsibility for Mr Sargeant's alleged behaviour.

But in its signed questionnaire, the jury sided with American Airlines, based in Fort Worth, by finding that it did not – through Mr Hooyerink – "assist and participate" in an sexual assault.

Ms Goesling's lawyer Rob Miller, who led the civil action against American Airlines, said: "There were a number of questions the jury had to answer. The first one was, was there a sexual assault?

"The second one was, was Brett Hooyerink the manager in charge of the trip, was he a vice-principal for American Airlines?

"In other words, was he there acting on behalf of American Airlines? And they found yes to that.

"The third question was, did American - through Hooyerink - participate or encourage the sexual assault, and they found no to that."

A spokeswoman for Mr Sargeant's legal team added: "Depositions are the process by which evidence can be obtained from a witness in England for use in US proceedings. The witness is only able to answer questions asked of him and a lawyer will not ask a question if they consider it may harm their client’s case.

"Also, as a non-party, Mr Sargeant could not challenge Ms Goesling’s evidence. Accordingly, it is Mr Sargeant’s position that the jury did not get to hear his full account of the incident when reaching their verdict (on a civil standard of proof)."

A spokesman for American Airlines said: "The jury's decision confirms that American does not tolerate inappropriate sexual conduct of any kind.

"We remain steadfast in our commitment to our team members and to providing a safe and comfortable environment for everyone who works at our airline."