This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/may/14/rolf-harris-dirty-old-man-abused-victim-years
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Rolf Harris was dirty old man who abused victim for years, court told | Rolf Harris was dirty old man who abused victim for years, court told |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A woman who alleges she was indecently assaulted by Rolf Harris from the age of 13 told a school friend the Australian-born entertainer was "a dirty old man" who would sit her on his lap and fondle her, a court has heard. | A woman who alleges she was indecently assaulted by Rolf Harris from the age of 13 told a school friend the Australian-born entertainer was "a dirty old man" who would sit her on his lap and fondle her, a court has heard. |
| The alleged victim, a friend of Harris's daughter, Bindi, told another friend the TV star and musician abused her repeatedly over many years, the jury at Southwark crown court heard. | The alleged victim, a friend of Harris's daughter, Bindi, told another friend the TV star and musician abused her repeatedly over many years, the jury at Southwark crown court heard. |
| The school friend, who is now in her late 40s, said she was told about Harris's alleged actions when the pair were still classmates at about the age of 16. | The school friend, who is now in her late 40s, said she was told about Harris's alleged actions when the pair were still classmates at about the age of 16. |
| Answering questions from Sasha Wass QC, prosecuting, the witness, who cannot be named for legal reasons, recounted the conversation, saying the alleged victim told her the assaults took place at her family home. | Answering questions from Sasha Wass QC, prosecuting, the witness, who cannot be named for legal reasons, recounted the conversation, saying the alleged victim told her the assaults took place at her family home. |
| "She described him to me as a bit of a dirty old man," she said. "He used to get her to sit on his lap and touch her up." She added: "I just remember feeling horrified on her behalf." | "She described him to me as a bit of a dirty old man," she said. "He used to get her to sit on his lap and touch her up." She added: "I just remember feeling horrified on her behalf." |
| The witness said her former school friend told her more about what happened in a phone conversation when the pair were in their early 30s, saying she was in counselling over excessive drinking and the alleged childhood abuse. | The witness said her former school friend told her more about what happened in a phone conversation when the pair were in their early 30s, saying she was in counselling over excessive drinking and the alleged childhood abuse. |
| "She told me Rolf Harris had been abusing her through her teens and beyond," the woman said. ""She said that at that moment she did not want to go into details but it was long and sustained, over a long period of time." | "She told me Rolf Harris had been abusing her through her teens and beyond," the woman said. ""She said that at that moment she did not want to go into details but it was long and sustained, over a long period of time." |
| The witness told the court she advised her friend to go to the police, but the woman did not want to | The witness told the court she advised her friend to go to the police, but the woman did not want to |
| "She knew it would become a bit of a media circus and she didn't want to deal with that," the witness told the court. | "She knew it would become a bit of a media circus and she didn't want to deal with that," the witness told the court. |
| Answering questions from Sonia Woodley QC, for the defence, the witness described the alleged victim as "the most caring person you could meet" but lacking in confidence, who would drink as a teenager to overcome her anxiety. | Answering questions from Sonia Woodley QC, for the defence, the witness described the alleged victim as "the most caring person you could meet" but lacking in confidence, who would drink as a teenager to overcome her anxiety. |
| Harris, 84, denies 12 counts of indecent assault spanning 25 years from the late 1970s. | |
| The court has previously heard from the alleged victim herself, who said Harris began groping her, without warning, when she was 13 and on holiday. She said such incidents continued for years, causing her to drink heavily to cope with her feelings and causing panic attacks which continue to this day. | The court has previously heard from the alleged victim herself, who said Harris began groping her, without warning, when she was 13 and on holiday. She said such incidents continued for years, causing her to drink heavily to cope with her feelings and causing panic attacks which continue to this day. |
| Answering questions from Wass earlier this week the woman said she had previously found Harris "creepy" and "cringey" because of his habit of greeting her with bear hugs and intrusive tickles. | Answering questions from Wass earlier this week the woman said she had previously found Harris "creepy" and "cringey" because of his habit of greeting her with bear hugs and intrusive tickles. |
| Two years after the first alleged assault, she told the court, she was staying at the Harris family home when Harris assaulted her one morning as Bindi was sleeping in the adjoining bed, she told the court, adding: "I think he got a thrill out of it." | Two years after the first alleged assault, she told the court, she was staying at the Harris family home when Harris assaulted her one morning as Bindi was sleeping in the adjoining bed, she told the court, adding: "I think he got a thrill out of it." |
| The sexual contact continued until she was 29, the woman said, and she felt unable to stop it. "All I can say was I just felt scared of him. I just went along with it, and drank to black it out." | The sexual contact continued until she was 29, the woman said, and she felt unable to stop it. "All I can say was I just felt scared of him. I just went along with it, and drank to black it out." |
| Under cross-examination from Woodley on Tuesday the woman denied consenting to continued encounters with Harris when she was an adult, or that there was "sexual chemistry" between them. | Under cross-examination from Woodley on Tuesday the woman denied consenting to continued encounters with Harris when she was an adult, or that there was "sexual chemistry" between them. |
Previous version
1
Next version