#wathupondearne
Latest news in Yorkshire: October 16, 2018 12:15:30 PM
A man accused of abducting a girl and sexually abusing her in a country
park 16 years ago has told a jury the complainant “was lying then and is
lying now”.
The defendant – who cannot be named for legal reasons – is on trial at
Sheffield Crown Court accused of three counts of rape and one of child
abduction.
He and seven other men are standing trial at the court accused of 27
counts of child sexual exploitation offences allegedly committed between
1998 and 2005.
The charges are part of Operation Stovewood, the National Crime Agency’s
investigation into historic CSE in Rotherham.
The 39-year-old defendant denies raping a 15-year-old girl between
September 2002 and December 2002 near the KP Nuts Factory and, on a
separate occasion, by an old building near Clifton Park.
He also denies abducting the girl, taking her to Ulley Country Park, and
raping her.
The man would have been 23 years old at the time of the alleged
incidents.
Giving evidence last Friday, the man told jurors that he knew of the
girl in 2002 because she used to walk past his house “causing trouble”.
“I didn’t know her name at the time,” he said.
“There were lots of them (walking past my house) — lads and girls.”
The man said the girl would walk past his house and kick his fence —
probably about twice a week.
He said the girl would ask him to buy her alcohol and cigarettes but he
refused.
His defence counsel, Ms Amanda Denton, said: “Have you ever been in a
sexual relationship with (the girl) either in 2002 or at any other
time?”
The man said: “Never, ever, in my entire life, no.”
Ms Denton said: “Have you ever forced, pushed or dragged (the girl) into
a car you have driven, at night, and taken her to the KP factory?”
The man said: “No, never.”
Ms Denton continued: “Did you drag her into your car outside her house
and abduct her in the way she described?”
The man said: “No.”
Under cross-examination, the man said he was someone who “kept himself
to himself” around the time of the alleged incidents, going to work, the
gym and back home.
Read more: rotherhamadvertiser.co.uk
===================
See our yorkshire photography:
https://wath-on-dearne.com/wathondearne/around-the-dearne-valley/
[status draft]