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Rolf Harris trial: Ex-TV star 'grabbed woman's breasts' | Rolf Harris trial: Ex-TV star 'grabbed woman's breasts' |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Rolf Harris pushed a woman against a wall and grabbed her breasts in an "opportunistic grope", his trial heard. | |
The woman, a BBC employee in her 40s at the time of the alleged assault in 2004, told Southwark Crown Court Mr Harris looked "vacant" after he thrust his crotch against her at a BBC party. | |
The 86-year-old former TV star faces alternate charges of indecent assault and sexual assault against the woman. | |
He denies seven charges of indecent assault and one of sexual assault. | He denies seven charges of indecent assault and one of sexual assault. |
'A heavy shove' | 'A heavy shove' |
The alleged assaults, against seven victims aged between 12 and 42, are said to date from 1971 to 2004. | |
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court: "All of a sudden he very quickly - it happened quite quickly - he with both arms out pushed me against the white wall. | The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court: "All of a sudden he very quickly - it happened quite quickly - he with both arms out pushed me against the white wall. |
"I had to step back, it was a shove, a heavy shove." | "I had to step back, it was a shove, a heavy shove." |
Jurors heard he slid his hands down to her breasts, and grabbed and squeezed them as he thrust against her. | Jurors heard he slid his hands down to her breasts, and grabbed and squeezed them as he thrust against her. |
'So embarrassed' | 'So embarrassed' |
"He looked to me and his eyes came to my eyes and then he looked away. He was quite vacant," the woman said. | "He looked to me and his eyes came to my eyes and then he looked away. He was quite vacant," the woman said. |
"It was seconds. It wasn't a super long time - it felt to me like a quick, opportunistic grope and I kind of naturally kind of slid out from him." | "It was seconds. It wasn't a super long time - it felt to me like a quick, opportunistic grope and I kind of naturally kind of slid out from him." |
Giving evidence by video link, the woman said she was "so embarrassed" by the alleged incident. | Giving evidence by video link, the woman said she was "so embarrassed" by the alleged incident. |
She told the court that at least 50 people were in the room but that no-one appeared to notice the interaction. | |
It happened at an "informal" party marking the end of a TV show Mr Harris had presented, she said. | |
Stephen Vullo, defending, suggested that Mr Harris's wife had been there too. | |
He said to the woman: "Your story is totally fabricated from beginning to end, isn't it?" | |
She replied: "No, it isn't, it isn't." | |
She denied being an attention seeker or that her allegations were motivated by financial gain, adding that Mr Harris had touched her deliberately and had not tripped. | |
Mr Harris is appearing by video link from Stafford Prison, where he is serving a sentence for a series of offences of indecent assault carried out against four female victims. | Mr Harris is appearing by video link from Stafford Prison, where he is serving a sentence for a series of offences of indecent assault carried out against four female victims. |
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