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Dave Lee Travis 'was a sexual opportunist', retrial hears | Dave Lee Travis 'was a sexual opportunist', retrial hears |
(35 minutes later) | |
Dave Lee Travis was an opportunist who groped vulnerable women and those who were alone, a jury has heard. | Dave Lee Travis was an opportunist who groped vulnerable women and those who were alone, a jury has heard. |
The former Radio 1 DJ is being retried on two counts - one of indecent assault and one of sexual assault - and faces a further charge of indecent assault. | The former Radio 1 DJ is being retried on two counts - one of indecent assault and one of sexual assault - and faces a further charge of indecent assault. |
Miranda Moore QC began outlining the prosecution case against the 69-year-old at Southwark Crown Court, saying Mr Travis "seemed to act as if he had a perfect right" to grope women. | Miranda Moore QC began outlining the prosecution case against the 69-year-old at Southwark Crown Court, saying Mr Travis "seemed to act as if he had a perfect right" to grope women. |
Mr Travis denies the charges. | Mr Travis denies the charges. |
In a trial earlier this year, a jury was unable to reach a verdict on the first two charges, which are said to have taken place in 1991 and 2008 respectively. | In a trial earlier this year, a jury was unable to reach a verdict on the first two charges, which are said to have taken place in 1991 and 2008 respectively. |
The third charge relates to an indecent assault alleged to have taken place in January 1995. | The third charge relates to an indecent assault alleged to have taken place in January 1995. |
The prosecutor said: "The offences that you are going to consider vary in seriousness. They involved unwanted physical contact over and under clothing. | The prosecutor said: "The offences that you are going to consider vary in seriousness. They involved unwanted physical contact over and under clothing. |
'Upset and shocked' | 'Upset and shocked' |
"We say ... he has a propensity towards laying his hands in a sexual manner on young women who are alone with him or in vulnerable positions. | "We say ... he has a propensity towards laying his hands in a sexual manner on young women who are alone with him or in vulnerable positions. |
"He is an opportunist." | "He is an opportunist." |
Ms Moore added: "The defendant, according to these ladies, simply seemed to act as if he had a perfect right to touch their breasts or put his hands in their clothing to grope them." | Ms Moore added: "The defendant, according to these ladies, simply seemed to act as if he had a perfect right to touch their breasts or put his hands in their clothing to grope them." |
She said the women felt "upset, embarrassed, shocked" and unsure what to do because Travis was a celebrity. | She said the women felt "upset, embarrassed, shocked" and unsure what to do because Travis was a celebrity. |
In court: Ben Geoghegan, BBC News | In court: Ben Geoghegan, BBC News |
Dave Lee Travis sits close to the centre of the dock of courtroom one. The dock officer is behind him and to the left some distance away. The former DJ sometimes wears headphones so that he can hear what's being said in this, the second trial he's faced this year. | Dave Lee Travis sits close to the centre of the dock of courtroom one. The dock officer is behind him and to the left some distance away. The former DJ sometimes wears headphones so that he can hear what's being said in this, the second trial he's faced this year. |
Dressed in a blue blazer and wearing a red-patterned tie, Mr Travis pushes himself into his chair so that he is almost leaning backwards. Before the prosecuting QC begins her opening speech, the judge warns the jury that Mr Griffin (Mr Travis's real name) may, from time to time, get up and walk around. | Dressed in a blue blazer and wearing a red-patterned tie, Mr Travis pushes himself into his chair so that he is almost leaning backwards. Before the prosecuting QC begins her opening speech, the judge warns the jury that Mr Griffin (Mr Travis's real name) may, from time to time, get up and walk around. |
The judge has given him permission to do that. It helps with his bad back. | The judge has given him permission to do that. It helps with his bad back. |
The first alleged victim to give evidence was a journalist who claimed Mr Travis groped her breasts in his kitchen after she interviewed him at his home. | The first alleged victim to give evidence was a journalist who claimed Mr Travis groped her breasts in his kitchen after she interviewed him at his home. |
She said the DJ showed her a photograph of a woman in a bikini and offered to take a similar picture of her, telling the woman she had a "good figure". | |
Having dismissed the offer once, when Mr Travis asked her again she said she felt she had to give a "bigger justification" as to why she did not want such a photograph. | |
"I just blurted out, thinking it would put him off, 'well I don't think I have big enough boobs'," the witness said. "There was a split second and then he put his hands out and put them on my breasts." | |
She said he touched her for several seconds and then acted like nothing had happened. | She said he touched her for several seconds and then acted like nothing had happened. |
'Never said sorry' | |
During cross-examination by Mr Travis's barrister Stephen Vullo QC, she outlined exactly how long Mr Travis had allegedly touched her for, saying: "It was a deliberate hands-on, one, two, three, four, pull away." | |
The woman told the jury: "He never said sorry, he didn't look embarrassed about what he had done and he was still relatively talkative even though he was a bit quieter." | |
She later told her flatmates and her mother about the alleged incident but did not inform police as she did not want to jeopardise her job, the court heard. | |
The woman, who gave evidence from behind a curtain, said she might have gone to the police if it had been "more serious". | The woman, who gave evidence from behind a curtain, said she might have gone to the police if it had been "more serious". |
When Mr Vullo asked the woman if she had exaggerated her claims, she replied: "I have absolutely not exaggerated, I am only telling the truth." | |
Aladdin assault claim | |
The other two charges relate to a woman who claims the DJ assaulted her when they were both working on a production of Aladdin and a woman who was on the BBC's Mrs Merton Show when he appeared as a guest. | |
The prosecutor also outlined claims from two other women - to which charges are not related. | The prosecutor also outlined claims from two other women - to which charges are not related. |
One woman claimed she was assaulted by Mr Travis as she served him drinks at a venue on the Isle of Man. | |
Another woman, also a journalist, claims that Mr Travis assaulted her while she was at his house to interview him. | |
A jury of six men and six women was sworn in for the retrial on Tuesday. | A jury of six men and six women was sworn in for the retrial on Tuesday. |
Trial judge Anthony Leonard QC told them that while a jury would not ordinarily be told a defendant had already faced a trial, it was "sensible" to do so in this case as it was likely some jurors would remember the earlier hearing. | |