An Isle of Wight councillor has taken the stand to defend himself today (Thursday) against allegations of historic child sex abuse.
The 46-year-old man is charged with two counts of rape between June 1990 and March 1992 and one of indecent assault of a girl under 13 years old, by having sexual intercourse between March and June 1990.
Defendant: No knowledge of the incidents
The defendant 46, has always denied committing the offences.
Although he knew the alleged victim as a child, he said he had no knowledge of the incidents.
Original statement read out
The statement the defendant originally gave police after he was arrested in February 2022 was read to the jury.
In it, the defendant denied ever raping or sexually assaulting the woman.
He said they used to play together as children, but he never touched her in a sexual way and did not know why she was saying he had done this.
Testimony from alleged victim
Earlier this week, the alleged victim told jurors the defendant had raped her twice as a child, when he was a child himself.
Speaking in court today, the defendant said when he was arrested, he was dumbstruck and felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under him.
Since then, he said his work life has been a struggle and agreed the allegations put against him were ‘untrue and complete fiction’.
No comment
Mr Nick Tucker, prosecuting, questioned the defendant’s decision in his police interview not to answer questions — instead providing a written statement.
Mr Tucker called on the defendant’s role in politics, and his ability to speak in public and ‘articulate himself in difficult situations under pressure’.
He said the defendant would have been well equipped to answer the police’s questions and wondered if he had anything to hide.
Defendant “outside of his comfort zone”
The defendant disagreed and said when he is asked to speak he is normally briefed and does not go in blind.
When speaking to the police he said he was outside of his comfort zone with no idea what was going on and incredibly stressed. He said it would have been ‘foolhardy to try and answer questions on something he did not understand’.
Woman denied making up allegations
The woman has denied making up allegations, after being challenged by the defendant’s defence counsel John Dyer.
She said the alleged incidents had been ingrained in her memory and that she had never forgotten what had happened.
The trial continues tomorrow (Friday).
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
