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Rolf Harris trial: Woman denies making up assault | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A woman who claims she was groped by Rolf Harris in a pub when she was aged 15 has denied fabricating the story. | |
However, Tonya Lee, who has waived her right to anonymity, admitted she got the date of the alleged assault wrong. | |
Miss Lee told Southwark Crown Court she was "not a robot" with a head for dates but she had "no doubt" the assault in Greenwich, south-east London, took place. | |
Mr Harris, 84, from Bray, Berkshire, denies 12 counts of indecent assault. | Mr Harris, 84, from Bray, Berkshire, denies 12 counts of indecent assault. |
He is accused of assaulting four girls in the UK between 1968 and 1986, when they were aged between seven or eight and 19. | He is accused of assaulting four girls in the UK between 1968 and 1986, when they were aged between seven or eight and 19. |
Three of the counts relate to Miss Lee, 43, from Australia, who says she was in London on a theatre trip in 1986. | |
An itinerary of the tour produced by Sonia Woodley QC, for the defence, said there would be a "celebratory meal with Rolf Harris" in a public house in Greenwich at the end of their tour. | |
Miss Lee previously told the court Mr Harris had assaulted her at the start of her group's six-week visit to the UK. | |
'Blood money' | |
She told the court on Wednesday: "There is no doubt in my mind what occurred to me. | |
"Both assaults are very clear in my mind. I got the dates wrong, I admit to that." | |
Miss Lee also dismissed prosecution claims that she had made up the story because she was motivated by money. | |
The court was told she had made a £33,000-deal with a Sydney publicity agent to give interviews to an Australian TV station and a magazine. | |
The jurors were also shown a newspaper article in which Miss Lee complained that not all of the money due to her had been paid. | |
She added: "That was blood money. That's not money for frivolity or fun." | |
Thursday's second witness, a former partner of Mr Harris's daughter, said he was told by one of the complainants that the entertainer had an under-age sexual relationship with her. | |
Malcolm Cox said the woman, a friend of Bindi Harris, was visiting the Harris family home in Bray, Berkshire, in 1996 or 1997 when she told him there had been a sexual relationship between Mr Harris and her, and it had occurred before the age of 16. | |
He said: "The gist was, in my opinion, that someone had been abused." |