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Paul Gascoigne forcibly kissed woman on train, court hears Paul Gascoigne forcibly kissed woman on train, court hears
(about 3 hours later)
The former England footballer Paul Gascoigne kissed a woman “forcibly and sloppily” on the lips after cornering her on a train while drunk, a court has heard. The former England footballer Paul Gascoigne kissed a woman “forcibly and sloppily” on the lips after drunkenly cornering her on a packed train, a court has heard.
The 52-year-old forced himself on the woman leaving her upset and shocked, jurors at Teesside crown court were told. The 52-year-old was intoxicated and swearing before he grabbed the passenger’s face and kissed her in a “brief but unpleasant” sexual assault, a jury at Teesside crown court in Middlesbrough was told.
The prosecutor, William Mousley QC, told the court that Gascoigne was accused of a “brief but unpleasant” sexual assault on a busy train on 20 August last year. The alleged victim was travelling home alone when she noticed a man being drunk and noisy in the row behind her, at one point offering fellow passengers gin and tonic, the court heard. The woman told jurors she froze in shock and left the train in tears, adding: “I get the train I don’t know how many times a year and I’ve never felt so upset and scared by what was taking place.”
Giving evidence from behind a screen, the woman described how Gascoigne repeatedly tried to engage her in conversation before the alleged sexual assault. Gascoigne denies one count of sexual assault by touching on a York-to-Newcastle train on 20 August last year.
“Midway through the journey he asked me if I was a palm reader – I don’t know what impression I gave – I tried to keep looking forward,” she said. The prosecutor, William Mousley QC, told the court that Gascoigne was drunk and noisy before the incident, at one point offering fellow passengers gin and tonic and bantering with a train guard.
She said she did not recognise the ex-footballer at the time but noticed he was “very noisy” and there were “lots of drinks cans and food on the floor and food smeared on his face”. Giving evidence from behind a screen, the alleged victim said Gascoigne repeatedly tried to engage her and other passengers in conversation before the alleged sexual assault. “Midway through the journey, he asked me if I was a palm reader – I don’t know what impression I gave – I said no and tried to keep looking forward,” she said.
The woman, who cannot be named, told jurors she tried to move away from Gascoigne when he tried to sit on her lap. The woman, who cannot be named, said she did not recognise the ex-footballer at the time but that he “certainly seemed drunk, intoxicated” and there were “lots of drinks cans and food on the floor and food smeared on his face”.
“He kept saying sorry, I just kept looking out of the window,” she told the court. “He said sorry again and [there was] a tap on my arm. I turned around to face him and he grabbed my face, kissed my face on the lips and I was taken aback because it just came completely out of the blue. When I realised what happened I pushed him off and said: ‘That’s not OK – get off.’” The alleged victim told jurors she tried to move away from Gascoigne when he tried to sit on her lap “He kept saying sorry. I said ‘It’s fine’. I just kept looking out of the window,” she told the court. “He said sorry again and [there was] a tap on my arm. I turned around to face him and he grabbed my face, kissed my face on the lips and I was taken aback because it just came completely out of the blue. When I realised what happened, I pushed him off and said: ‘That’s not OK – get off.’”
Becoming tearful, she went on: “I tried to keep my lips firmly shut. I just completely froze.” She said the kiss was “just sloppy and it wasn’t like a peck on the cheek you might give someone – it was very full on the lips”. Becoming tearful, she went on: “I tried to keep my lips firmly shut. I just completely froze.” She said: “[The kiss] was just sloppy and it wasn’t like a peck on the cheek you might give someone – it was very full on the lips.” I was on my own and, because the behaviour just came out of nowhere ,it just shocked me and I was rather upset. I just wanted to get home.”
The alleged victim said Gascoigne became abusive to other passengers when they confronted him about what had happened. She told the British Transport Police about the alleged assault after leaving the train soon after, the court heard.The alleged victim said Gascoigne became abusive to other passengers when they confronted him about what had happened. She told the British Transport Police about the alleged assault after leaving the train soon after, the court heard.
Mousley told jurors that Gascoigne told police he knew what they were calling about when they rang him later that day “He told them, in his words: ‘I have kissed a fat lass.’” Mousley told jurors that Gascoigne told police he knew what they were calling about when they rang him later that day: “He told them, in his words: ‘I have kissed a fat lass.’”
In a police interview the following morning, the former Newcastle star claimed he had given the woman “a peck on the lips to reassure her as he felt sorry for her” because she was being verbally abused about her weight. Mousley told the court that was a lie and that Gascoigne had not shown contrition or been prepared to “face up to his guilt”. In a police interview the following morning, the former Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur star claimed he had given the woman “a peck on the lips to reassure her as he felt sorry for her” because she was being verbally abused about her weight. Mousley told the court that was a lie and that Gascoigne had not shown contrition or been prepared to “face up to his guilt”.
The prosecutor told jurors they must consider what the alleged victim felt. “A drunk stranger cornering her, taking hold and forcing his wet and sloppy mouth on hers,” he said, describing the incident as “shocking, upsetting and perhaps even frightening at what else might have happened”.The prosecutor told jurors they must consider what the alleged victim felt. “A drunk stranger cornering her, taking hold and forcing his wet and sloppy mouth on hers,” he said, describing the incident as “shocking, upsetting and perhaps even frightening at what else might have happened”.
Before the trial began the judge told jurors it would be “unrealistic to expect that you will not have heard [of Gascoigne]”. Anyone who had worked for his former clubs Newcastle, Glasgow Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough or Everton was excused from jury service. A fellow passenger, Alisan Burden, told the court that Gascoigne appeared to be drinking from “what looked like an empty milk carton” before the incident. Asked whether she could tell what he was drinking, she said: “No – well it wasn’t the colour of milk.”
Gascoigne denies sexual assault. The trial continues. The trial continues.
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