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Accuser tells Charlie Elphicke trial of 'odd and scary' events Accuser tells Charlie Elphicke trial of 'odd and scary' events
(about 5 hours later)
Woman alleges former Tory MP sexually assaulted her at his family home in 2007 Woman alleges that former Tory MP sexually assaulted her at his family home in 2007
One of two women who have accused a former Conservative MP of sexually assaulting them has told his trial of her fear during an alleged incident at his home in which he allegedly groped and pursued her before she locked herself in a room. One of two women who accused a former Tory MP of sexual assault has described her fear during an alleged incident at his home in which he allegedly groped and pursued her before she locked herself in a room.
Giving evidence via video link and crying at one point, she described the alleged events in 2007 at the London home of Charlie Elphicke and his family as “embarrassing, odd and scary”. Giving evidence via video link at the trial of the former MP, Charlie Elphicke, at Southwark crown court, the woman, who cried at one point, described the alleged events in 2007 at his London home as “embarrassing, odd and scary”.
Elphicke, who represented the Kent constituency of Dover and Deal from 2010 until last year and served as a government whip, is on trial at Southwark crown court, where he denies three counts of sexual assault. He lost the Tory whip in 2017 when the allegations were referred to the police but was reinstated in December 2018 before a vote of confidence in the then prime minister, Theresa May. He did not stand as a candidate at the 2019 general election. Elphicke, the MP for the Kent constituency of Dover and Deal from 2010 to 2019, denies three counts of sexual assault.
On the second day of his trial, the woman who alleges that he assaulted her on an evening in 2007 at his family’s home in west London described how they had been chatting with him and sharing a bottle of wine on an evening when the future MP’s wife was away and his children had been asleep upstairs. He lost the Tory whip in 2017 when the allegations were referred to the police, but was reinstated in 2018 before a vote of confidence in Theresa May, then prime minister. He did not stand at the 2019 general election, at which the seat was held for the Conservatives by his wife, Natalie.
As they sat on a sofa, she said she was taken by surprise when he suddenly tried to kiss her and pushed her back into “a sprawling position” before putting his knee between her legs and groping her breast. On the second day of Elphicke’s trial, the woman, who alleges that he assaulted her in 2007 at his family’s home in London, described how they had been chatting and sharing a bottle of wine on an evening when Natalie was away and his children were asleep upstairs.
The woman, who was in her 20s at the time, recalled shouting “no” or “get off”, and told the court: “I pushed him with what I would say was a lot of force and I just ran away basically. My adrenaline was going and I just had to get out of there.” As they sat on a sofa, the woman said she was taken by surprise when he suddenly tried to kiss her and pushed her back into “a sprawling position” before putting his knee between her legs and groping her breast.
Elphicke pursued her, she said, repeating “I’m a naughty Tory” in a singsong voice and managing to make contact with her bottom before she locked herself in a downstairs room. The woman, in her 20s at the time, recalled shouting “no” or “get off” and told the court: “I pushed him with what I would say was a lot of force and I just ran away, basically. My adrenaline was going and I just had to get out of there.”
“I was really worried about what he would do if he came back downstairs. He was knocking on the door,” she told the court, adding that she later got into a taxi. Elphicke pursued her, she alleged, repeating, “I’m a naughty Tory” in a singsong voice and touching her bottom before she locked herself in a downstairs room. “I was really worried about what he would do if he came back downstairs. He was knocking on the door,” she told the court.
The woman was prompted to come forward after reports about the publication of a list of names of government ministers and MPs from different parties who were alleged to have acted inappropriately on the parliamentary estate. Under cross-examination, she rejected suggestions by Elphicke’s defence barrister that she had given a false account and had come up with the “I’m a naughty Tory” claim following news coverage in 2017 of a so-called “naughty list” of Conservative MPs.
However, she told that court she did not hear back from her local police force after she reported the alleged incident, and subsequently contacted the Metropolitan police on the advice of a lawyer. “Pretty much everyone in the country was talking about the list of naughty Tories and you knew that Mr Elphicke’s name was on the list,” said Ian Winter QC, who also put it to her that this prompted her to try to sell her story to the Daily Mirror.
However, Winter said the newspaper had pulled the plug on the story days later after the Welsh government minister Carl Sargeant took his own life following his dismissal amid allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour.
The woman disagreed, insisting that she backed out of the story, for which Winter said she stood to earn £30,000. “I wanted to expose him. Then I reflected and decided to go to the police,” she said.
Winter also focused on other details of her account, putting to her that his client had “genuinely enjoyed sharing a bottle of wine” with her on the night of the alleged assault, and that she did not go to the police at the time because there was a “misunderstanding” about what happened. “The true reason [for not informing the police] is you knew in 2007 that Mr Elphicke thought it was a perfectly pleasant evening,” said the lawyer.
The woman told him: “I don’t agree with you, sorry.”
Winter later put it to her that the pair had been “getting on OK” as they sat on the sofa and had been placing chocolate stars in each other’s mouths “in a perfectly friendly way”. She said she could not recall this and denied his suggestion that Elphicke had “immediately stopped” kissing her when she asked him.
Elphicke also faces allegations of two sexual assaults in 2016 against another woman, who was working in Westminster at the time.Elphicke also faces allegations of two sexual assaults in 2016 against another woman, who was working in Westminster at the time.
The court was told on Monday that when police questioned Elphicke in 2018, he said of the 2007 incident that the woman had been feeding chocolate stars into his mouth and had been “tactile”. He claimed he kissed her on the lips and she “responded positively”, but she then said it was not what she wanted and he “immediately” stopped. The trial continues.
He also denied having described himself as a “naughty Tory”, the prosecutor said.
The case continues.