This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/mar/31/nigel-evans-despair-sexual-assault-claims-trial-mp-hell
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Nigel Evans driven to despair by sexual assault claims, trial hears | Nigel Evans driven to despair by sexual assault claims, trial hears |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The former deputy Commons speaker Nigel Evans has described the ordeal of being accused of sexually assaulting a number of young men over 10 years. | |
| Evans, 56, told Preston crown court on Monday that he was in a total state of shock when he was arrested last May. | |
| Asked how the arrest affected him, Evans said: "Awful. It's difficult to put it into words. It's hell, absolute hell. I've had 10 months of these allegations starting with that knock on the door. | Asked how the arrest affected him, Evans said: "Awful. It's difficult to put it into words. It's hell, absolute hell. I've had 10 months of these allegations starting with that knock on the door. |
| "To have yourself sullied in that way is awful. I could not do my job. It's incredibly difficult." | "To have yourself sullied in that way is awful. I could not do my job. It's incredibly difficult." |
| Evans, 56, appeared close to tears as his barrister Peter Wright QC asked him to describe how it felt to be arrested and questioned on suspicion of rape and sexual assaults. | |
| "To have these allegations brought against you in such a public way is just awful," Evans said. "My colleagues were superb, my family and friends were absolutely tremendous, but at times I could not read the newspapers, it was just that bad." | "To have these allegations brought against you in such a public way is just awful," Evans said. "My colleagues were superb, my family and friends were absolutely tremendous, but at times I could not read the newspapers, it was just that bad." |
| He continued: "I was in a total state of shock despite the fact I was told the day before by my chief of staff that [a complainant] was talking to the police … I did not believe this would end up with a knock on the door. | He continued: "I was in a total state of shock despite the fact I was told the day before by my chief of staff that [a complainant] was talking to the police … I did not believe this would end up with a knock on the door. |
| "I felt ashamed, deeply ashamed. I just felt it was happening to somebody else, that's the only way I could get through it. I've never gone through anything like that before in my life." | "I felt ashamed, deeply ashamed. I just felt it was happening to somebody else, that's the only way I could get through it. I've never gone through anything like that before in my life." |
| Evans said as an MP he wanted to go through his career without even being accused of having six items in a five items or less queue at the supermarket, adding: "To be accused of what I was accused of took it to a level that was just awful and at times I [was in] despair." | Evans said as an MP he wanted to go through his career without even being accused of having six items in a five items or less queue at the supermarket, adding: "To be accused of what I was accused of took it to a level that was just awful and at times I [was in] despair." |
| Earlier on Monday, Evans admitted the Conservative party could have ended his career when a young Commons worker claimed the MP had sexually assaulted him. | |
| Evans told jurors last Tuesday that he faced no sanctions despite admitting to the then Tory chief whip, Patrick McLoughlin, that he made an unwanted pass at the 23-year-old aspiring politician following a night of heavy drinking in 2009. | Evans told jurors last Tuesday that he faced no sanctions despite admitting to the then Tory chief whip, Patrick McLoughlin, that he made an unwanted pass at the 23-year-old aspiring politician following a night of heavy drinking in 2009. |
| Giving evidence for a second day, Evans described how he fell for the young man and felt like a "chastened child" when he rebuffed his advances, admitting: "There's no fool like an old fool." | |
| The MP for Ribble Valley in Lancashire has pleaded not guilty to one charge of rape, two indecent assaults, five sexual assaults and one attempted sexual assault. | |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |