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Max Clifford trial: Woman denies 'obsession' with publicist Max Clifford trial: Woman claims assault in taxi
(about 7 hours later)
A woman who accuses Max Clifford of repeatedly abusing her when she was 15 has denied being "obsessed" by him. Max Clifford "launched himself" at a woman he sexually assaulted in a taxi, his trial has heard.
The woman also told Southwark Crown Court Mr Clifford said he had been encouraged to take her virginity by the actress Julie Christie. The woman, who was 19 at the time, told Southwark Crown Court Mr Clifford had grabbed her breasts and tried to kiss her during a taxi ride in 1978.
The woman said he had used her interest in Ms Christie to abuse her. He responded with "verbal abuse" when she tried to "push him off", she said.
Mr Clifford, 70, from Hersham, Surrey, denies 11 counts of indecent assault relating to seven alleged victims, aged from 14 to 19, between 1966 and 1984.Mr Clifford, 70, from Hersham, Surrey, denies 11 counts of indecent assault relating to seven alleged victims, aged from 14 to 19, between 1966 and 1984.
'Very frightened' Earlier, the trial heard allegations Mr Clifford told one 15-year-old girl that the actress Julie Christie had encouraged him to take her virginity.
Mr Clifford is accused of repeatedly abusing the woman, who cannot be identified, in his car in 1977 when she was 15. Saying 'horrible things'
Richard Horwell QC, defending, questioned the woman about internet research she had carried out into Mr Clifford. Mr Clifford called the 19-year-old woman and asked her to come to his office when she was working for a recruitment agency in 1978, the London court was told.
He asked: "During the period in which you were having counselling, did you become almost obsessed with Mr Clifford?" Giving evidence, she said Mr Clifford had wanted her to find him a new personal assistant, but later interviewed her for the job in a five-hour meeting - during which he spoke about clients including the late actor Oliver Reed.
She replied: "I was very frightened and I was worried he would find out about me." He told her about Mr Reed's "problematic" sexual preferences, the court heard.
A psychotherapist told the court that she treated the alleged victim in 2011. She said her client looked like "she might vomit" as she named Mr Clifford. "I remember him specifically saying about Oliver Reed, that he liked young girls, but I don't remember any specifics of the others," she said.
After the meeting, she said she shared a cab with Mr Clifford, who then accosted her.
"On the journey he started trying to kiss me," she said. "He kind of launched himself at me actually, and started trying to kiss me on the mouth, which I said no to."
"I tried to push him off and hold him off," she said, adding that he was then verbally abusive.
"He was insulting, he was saying horrible things to me. He said I had led him on," she said.
Cross-examined about the incident, the woman denied that she had "wanted" his advances.
Said she had not told police at the time because, prior to Mr Clifford's arrest last year on suspicion of similar offences, she had feared she would not believed.
'Becoming obsessed'
The court earlier heard from a woman who claims the publicist repeatedly abused her when she was 15.
"He asked me which actors I liked. I said Julie Christie," the woman told jurors.
"He said that he was her agent and he said he talked regularly to her and mentioned her on several occasions."
She continued: "I remember him saying to me he had spoken to Julie Christie and - because this had happened to her as well, by that presumably he meant the abuse that he was doing to me - she said he should take my virginity because it would be my first and then I would fall in love with him and be 100% loyal to him."
The woman also denied being "obsessed" with Mr Clifford.
A psychotherapist told the court that she had treated the alleged victim in 2011. She said her client had looked like "she might vomit" as she named Mr Clifford.
"She didn't give precise details of the abuse but it was too horrific for her," the counsellor said."She didn't give precise details of the abuse but it was too horrific for her," the counsellor said.
Under cross-examination, the psychotherapist confirmed she had written in her post-session notes that her client "feels she's becoming obsessed by this".Under cross-examination, the psychotherapist confirmed she had written in her post-session notes that her client "feels she's becoming obsessed by this".
Earlier, the court also heard that Mr Clifford was alleged to have taken advantage of her interest in the actress Ms Christie. So far three women, none of whom can be identified, have given evidence against Mr Clifford.
"He asked me which actors I liked. I said Julie Christie," the woman told jurors. The trial continues.
Anonymous letter
"He said that he was her agent and he said he talked regularly to her and mentioned her on several occasions.
"I remember him saying to me he had spoken to Julie Christie and - because this had happened to her as well, by that presumably he meant the abuse that he was doing to me - she said he should take my virginity because it would be my first and then I would fall in love with him and be 100% loyal to him."
The woman also spoke of an anonymous letter she sent to Mr Clifford in which she wrote about spotting him in Raynes Park, south London in about 1998.
She told the court that she stopped behind him at traffic lights.
"He had a personalised number plate and I could see the back of his head," she said.
In the letter, she wrote: "What to do? Wanting to get out of the car, confront you, let you know that I still remember, wanting everyone to know the real disgusting creature that you are."
The court has heard how the woman had met the publicist while on a family holiday in Torremolinos in Spain.
She said he had impressed her parents with the promise of finding her modelling work and told her to phone him after the holiday.
Disaster movie
The court also heard evidence from the alleged victim's sister, who said she recalled Mr Clifford visiting their family home.
She said he advised both girls they could get roles as extras in a disaster movie if they wore swimwear to a pool frequented by the film's director.
"The film was described, it was going to be the next big disaster movie to do with a swarm of bees," she said.
Accused of lying about Mr Clifford's visit, the sister added: "I distinctly remember him being in our lounge area. He certainly visited our house."
A friend of the woman also gave evidence. She said she had been told of the alleged abuse during a visit to Bath in 1998.
The friend said the woman told her she had been abused and made to perform sex acts on Mr Clifford.
She added that her friend said she had been reluctant to report the alleged abuse to police before her mother died in 2012.
This, she said, was because Mr Clifford had "effectively duped" her friend's parents.