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| Ex-MP Charlie Elphicke accused woman of leading him on, trial hears | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Ex-MP accused woman of misleading him about romantic intentions after she spurned his alleged advances, jury told | Ex-MP accused woman of misleading him about romantic intentions after she spurned his alleged advances, jury told |
| A young parliamentary worker who has accused a former Tory MP of sexual assault told police how he subsequently accused her of misleading him about her romantic intentions after she spurned his alleged advances, a court has heard. | A young parliamentary worker who has accused a former Tory MP of sexual assault told police how he subsequently accused her of misleading him about her romantic intentions after she spurned his alleged advances, a court has heard. |
| The trial of Charlie Elphicke was told on Thursday that he got in touch with her after the alleged incident in 2016 and asked her: “Why were you so up for it in the beginning?” | The trial of Charlie Elphicke was told on Thursday that he got in touch with her after the alleged incident in 2016 and asked her: “Why were you so up for it in the beginning?” |
| He was alleged to have told the woman: “I’m so naughty sometimes,” after the alleged sexual assault at Westminster, Southwark crown court heard on Wednesday as a jury watched a police recording of an interview with the woman. | He was alleged to have told the woman: “I’m so naughty sometimes,” after the alleged sexual assault at Westminster, Southwark crown court heard on Wednesday as a jury watched a police recording of an interview with the woman. |
| Further recordings of claims made by her were played on Thursday to the court, which was told of a second alleged assault on her later in the year when she said that he slid his hand up her leg to her groin. | Further recordings of claims made by her were played on Thursday to the court, which was told of a second alleged assault on her later in the year when she said that he slid his hand up her leg to her groin. |
| She said [in the recording] that she had been prompted to come forward following news reports about claims of alleged misconduct by MPs and after learning that the head of the civil service was also conducting an investigation. | She said [in the recording] that she had been prompted to come forward following news reports about claims of alleged misconduct by MPs and after learning that the head of the civil service was also conducting an investigation. |
| Elphicke, who represented the Kent constituency of Dover and Deal from 2010 until last year, denies three counts of sexual assault, twice against the young parliamentary worker and on one occasion against a woman at his family’s central London home in 2007. | Elphicke, who represented the Kent constituency of Dover and Deal from 2010 until last year, denies three counts of sexual assault, twice against the young parliamentary worker and on one occasion against a woman at his family’s central London home in 2007. |
| 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 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. |
| The married father-of-two is alleged to have first assaulted the parliamentary worker, who was in her early 20s, as they shared a bottle of champagne in Westminster in 2016. | The married father-of-two is alleged to have first assaulted the parliamentary worker, who was in her early 20s, as they shared a bottle of champagne in Westminster in 2016. |
| She had been invited for an evening drink with the then-Dover MP, who is alleged to have slipped his hand under her top as they chatted about music. | She had been invited for an evening drink with the then-Dover MP, who is alleged to have slipped his hand under her top as they chatted about music. |
| Jurors heard details on Wednesday of a police recording of an interview with the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who said the then MP had repeatedly told her he liked her. | Jurors heard details on Wednesday of a police recording of an interview with the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who said the then MP had repeatedly told her he liked her. |
| “He said: ‘I really do like you, you know,’” she told police. | “He said: ‘I really do like you, you know,’” she told police. |
| “I thought: ‘Fuck, what’s happening?’ It all happened so fast.” | “I thought: ‘Fuck, what’s happening?’ It all happened so fast.” |
| She alleged that Elphicke then put his arm down her top to grope her. “He said: ‘What’s wrong? We both really like each other,’” she told police. | She alleged that Elphicke then put his arm down her top to grope her. “He said: ‘What’s wrong? We both really like each other,’” she told police. |
| The woman said she was not attracted to him and told Elphicke he was much older than her, to which he allegedly replied: “I knew you’d bring my age into it.” | The woman said she was not attracted to him and told Elphicke he was much older than her, to which he allegedly replied: “I knew you’d bring my age into it.” |
| She added that Elphicke, now 49, began giggling after the sexual assault and said: “I’m so naughty sometimes.” | She added that Elphicke, now 49, began giggling after the sexual assault and said: “I’m so naughty sometimes.” |
| Police were also told of a second alleged assault, later in 2016, when Elphicke slid his hand up her leg to her groin. | Police were also told of a second alleged assault, later in 2016, when Elphicke slid his hand up her leg to her groin. |
| Earlier this week, the other woman who has accused him of sexual assault described being afraid during an alleged incident at his home in 2007 in which he allegedly groped and pursued her before she locked herself in a room. | Earlier this week, the other woman who has accused him of sexual assault described being afraid during an alleged incident at his home in 2007 in which he allegedly groped and pursued her before she locked herself in a room. |
| Elphicke denies claims made by the woman, while his defence counsel, Ian Winter QC, accused the alleged victim of inconsistencies in her evidence. | |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |