The international director of poverty relief charity Barnabas Fund has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a female member of staff and intimidating employees due to give evidence against him.

Patrick Sookhdeo was found guilty by a jury yesterday at Swindon Crown Court and has been ordered to serve a three-month community order for all three charges, to run concurrently, and has a three-month curfew. He will also have to pay prosecution costs of £3,500 and a victim surcharge of £60.

Sookhdeo sexually assaulted the victim while working at the charity’s offices in February of last year. He had denied these charges.

He was suspended from the charity following the allegations in March 2013, and charged in May.

Reverend Ian McNaughton, chair of Barnabas Fund UK, and Reverend Albrecht Hauser, chair of its partner charity Barnabas Aid International, said in a joint statement: “We are obviously very saddened at this outcome however rest assured the work of the Barnabas Fund will continue on the journey and projects which the fund is engaged in.”

They said that the boards at Barnabas Fund and Barnabas Aid International will meet today and tomorrow to discuss the implications of the prosecution.

According to the Charity Commission’s website, Sookhedo is a trustee of Barnabas Aid International, as well as of Harvester Conferences Limited, Servants Fellowship International and TBF Trust.