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Max Clifford trial: publicist said accusations he was a paedophile were 'revolting'
Max Clifford trial: I have been living a nightmare, says publicist
(about 3 hours later)
Publicist Max Clifford told police it was “revolting” to be accused of being a paedophile when he was first questioned over allegations of indecently assaulting a teenage girl, a court has heard.
Max Clifford told police he had helped expose the paedophiles Gary Glitter and Jonathan King and said he found it “revolting” when he was accused of abusing a teenage girl, a court has heard.
Jurors at London's Southwark Crown Court were read extracts from police interviews after Clifford, 70, was arrested on 6 December 2012.
The publicist described his arrest as the worst day of his life, and said he and his family had been living a “nightmare”.
The court heard that officers told him he was being detained in response to allegations from a woman who said she met Clifford while on holiday with her family in Torremolinos in Spain in 1977.
Following his second arrest last year as part of an investigation into historic sex offences, he revealed how he had been approached by women wanting to profit from the scandal over Jimmy Savile but he said he refused to help cash in on photographs of themselves with the disgraced DJ, telling them: “It’s your word against his.”
She claimed he went on to make her perform sex acts on him when they were back in the UK, promising he would help her become a model.
Mr Clifford, 70, told officers he had no need to make up associations with famous people to trick women into having sex with him because he knew many celebrities through his work, including The Beatles.
She later sent him a letter accusing him of abusing her, which was found by police in his bedside table.
The PR consultant admitted having sex in his office, telling detectives: “I had a very active sexual life for many, many years.”
Jurors heard that, when questioned by police about the letter, Clifford said he received many “nasty letters” due to his job but had never been accused of being a paedophile before.
The jury at Southwark Crown Court was told that the publicist gave police a statement he had written with the help of his solicitor. It said: “I am both shocked and amazed at the nature of these allegations. I wish to emphasise that I have never forced any female to indulge in any form of sexual behaviour with me against her will.”
The court heard that he told officers: “I've received letters about controversial things, when I was involved in OJ Simpson and Guantanamo Bay.
He was questioned over an anonymous letter written to him by one of his alleged victims detailing her claims of abuse which was discovered in his bedside drawer.
"It's the first one I've ever received accusing me of being a paedophile.
The prosecution alleges that the PR consultant met the woman when she was still a teenager while on holiday with her parents in Torremolinos, Spain, in 1977. Mr Clifford, who denies 11 counts of indecent assault against seven women and girls, admitted being at the resort but did not remember meeting the girl.
"It's disgusting and totally without any foundation at all.
Mr Clifford said he was intending to show it to his wife. “I’ve received letters about controversial things, when I was involved in OJ Simpson and Guantanamo Bay. It’s the first one I’ve ever received accusing me of being a paedophile. It’s disgusting and totally without any foundation at all. I didn’t abuse this girl,” he said.
"I didn't abuse this girl."
Earlier, the court heard from another woman who claimed Mr Clifford exposed himself to her when she was a 16-year-old aspiring model, promising her a role in a film alongside Blade Runner actor Rutger Hauer.
Jurors also heard that Clifford also claimed he had actually exposed paedophiles during his career.
The woman, who is now 42, had been in care, and said she felt humiliated after being asked to masturbate him during a visit to his Bond Street offices in 1988, the court heard
Asked why the letter was found in his bedside drawer, the publicist said it was so he could show his wife.
Giving evidence via video-link, she said she was introduced to the former boxer and actor Gary Stretch by Mr Clifford and went on to have dinner with Mr Stretch, Gary Lineker and his then-wife Michelle.
Jurors were told that, earlier that day, Clifford gave police a statement he had written with the help of his solicitor, and told them he would answer all their questions with ”no comment“.
Under questioning by prosecutor Rosina Cottage QC, the woman said Mr Clifford invited her to a restaurant in Raynes Park, south west London, where he was a regular and where they sat with a large group of people including girls of around her age. She said that the publicist asked her to go to the toilet with one man, but she refused.
The statement read: ”I am both shocked and amazed at the nature of these allegations.
Jurors heard that in the statement she gave to police, the woman described Clifford as “not well endowed”. This echoes the description given to the court by other witnesses.
“I wish to emphasise that I have never forced any female to indulge in any form of sexual behaviour with me against her will.”
Asked if the allegations had come “out of the blue”, Clifford told officers: “Because of my work, I'm totally aware of what's going on out there.”
The court heard that Clifford went on to tell police he had “no recollection” of meeting the teenager but confirmed he had gone on holiday to the resort.
Four charges put against Clifford relate to the woman, who claims the publicist made her take her bra off during a visit to his offices in Bond Street, central London.
She also claimed he would visit her home and impress her parents by speaking about how he could make her a star, then took her out in his car and abused her.
Earlier, the court heard from a woman who claimed that Clifford exposed himself to her when she was a 16-year-old aspiring model, promising her a role in a film alongside Blade Runner actor Rutger Hauer.
The woman, who is now 42, said the defendant knew she was living in care after being sexually abused by her father but went on to make her masturbate him.
She said she went to his offices and also went to a restaurant with Clifford where he told her to go into a toilet with a man he knew, but she refused.
Giving evidence via video-link, the woman said she was introduced to former boxer and actor Gary Stretch by Clifford and that she also met Gary Lineker and his former wife Michelle.
Jurors heard that in the statement she gave to police, the woman described Clifford as “not well endowed”.
The court has previously heard other witnesses claim the same.
Wearing a grey blazer, white shirt and grey trousers, Clifford listened from the dock with the aid of a hearing loop.
Wearing a grey blazer, white shirt and grey trousers, Clifford listened from the dock with the aid of a hearing loop.
Jurors also heard extracts from police interviews when Clifford was arrested for a second time, on 22 February last year.
The trial continues.
This time allegations concerning two other women who had subsequently come forward were put to him, with Clifford also denying all knowledge about them.
He told officers that in his job as a publicist, he had been contacted by many women who wanted to profit from the Jimmy Savile scandal but had no evidence.
He said they would call his office to say they had photographs of themselves with the disgraced DJ and would ask “how much can you give me?”
“Well nothing,” he added. “It's your word against his.”
He told officers he exposed former pop star Gary Glitter and Jonathan King as paedophiles and said he did not need to force himself on women as he received plenty of female attention.
Questioned about allegations that his alleged victims were duped into believing Hollywood film producer Cubby Broccoli spoke to them on the phone, directing one of the women to perform sexual acts on Clifford, the defendant told officers he did not know him.
But he said he would have had no need to “boast” about knowing film producers as he had been friends with the likes of the Beatles.
Clifford admitted having sex in his office with his personal assistant.“I had a very active sexual life for many, many years,” he said.
Clifford, from Hersham in Surrey, is accused of 11 counts of indecent assault against seven women and girls. He denies all the charges. The trial continues.
