This article is from the source 'bbc' 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.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27490160
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Rolf Harris 'fondled girl' on UK theatre trip | Rolf Harris 'fondled girl' on UK theatre trip |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Rolf Harris fondled a 15-year-old girl while she was on a trip to the UK in 1986, a court has heard. | Rolf Harris fondled a 15-year-old girl while she was on a trip to the UK in 1986, a court has heard. |
| Australian Tonya Lee - who has waived her right to anonymity - said she had come to Britain with a theatre group. | Australian Tonya Lee - who has waived her right to anonymity - said she had come to Britain with a theatre group. |
| The entertainer, now 84, invited her to sit on his lap, before moving his hand up her leg and assaulting her, the jury was told. | |
| Mr Harris, from Bray, Berkshire denies 12 counts of indecent assault - three of which relate to Ms Lee's claims. | Mr Harris, from Bray, Berkshire denies 12 counts of indecent assault - three of which relate to Ms Lee's claims. |
| He is accused of assaulting a total of four girls in the UK between 1968 and 1986, when they were aged between seven or eight and 19. | He is accused of assaulting a total of four girls in the UK between 1968 and 1986, when they were aged between seven or eight and 19. |
| The musician, artist and TV presenter is said to have met the girl and her group at Heathrow Airport, later going with them for dinner at a pub. | The musician, artist and TV presenter is said to have met the girl and her group at Heathrow Airport, later going with them for dinner at a pub. |
| It was there, the jury at Southwark Crown Court heard, that he is alleged to have carried out the assault. | It was there, the jury at Southwark Crown Court heard, that he is alleged to have carried out the assault. |
| 'Very subtle' | |
| After going to sit on his lap, Ms Lee - now 43 - said: "I could feel that there was some movement happening beneath me. | After going to sit on his lap, Ms Lee - now 43 - said: "I could feel that there was some movement happening beneath me. |
| "He was moving back and forth rubbing against me. | |
| "It was very subtle, it wasn't big movements. Everything just seemed to be going on as normal." | |
| The jury heard that Mr Harris patted her on the thigh. Ms Lee said he then "began to move his hand up my inner thigh". | |
| She said she felt "very uncomfortable" when Mr Harris touched her genitals over her clothing. | |
| She said she "started to panic" and rushed off to the toilet. | |
| "I was wondering what to do... and also I was confused," she said. | |
| "The whole time this was happening just normal interaction was going on," she told the court. | |
| Waiting outside | |
| Ms Lee said she decided not to speak out at the time because the theatre group's artistic director, Kathy Henkel, was a friend of Mr Harris's. | |
| She said when she came out of the toilet Mr Harris was waiting outside and gave her "a big bear hug". | |
| He then put his hand down her top, fondling her breast, she said. | |
| "I was petrified... I was in shock," Ms Lee said. | |
| She said she thought no one would believe her if she said anything "because it was Rolf Harris". | |
| Ms Lee said she became "an empty vessel" after the alleged assaults and developed an eating disorder, causing her to lose weight. | |
| She said she "stopped eating" and would "throw up" during the six-week UK tour. | |
| The case continues. |