Woman angrily refutes lying about sex assaults

A WITNESS in the trial of a Plymouth-based criminal defence solicitor accused of sexually assaulting a number of his clients barracked a defence barrister while answer questions about incidents she claimed took place in the magistrates’ court.

- By CARL EVE

The jury in the trial of Alan Harris, aged 71, from Thorn Park in Plymouth - who faces 30 charges at his trial taking place at Winchester Crown Court, Hampshire - were asked to step out of court on Friday during the course of the evidence being given by Female A, who has alleged Harris groped her while they were in a consultation room in Plymouth Magistrates’ Court.

The jury first listened to a video interview the woman gave following the alleged incidents which took place in the early part of 2015 when Female A was in her late 20s.

The woman - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - claimed that in 2014, while in a consultation room of the court Harris made comments about her while looking down her top before rubbing her back. She claimed that on another occasion he stood over her in an “intimidating way” and made comments which she took to imply that she would do something sexual for money.

She said that the following year, when she again appeared at court, he requested she join him in a consultation room, but on the other side of Plymouth Magistrates’ Court. The jury were previously told by prosecutor Anne Whyte KC that court records and CCTV proved this alleged incident took place on February 6, 2015.

Female A told police in the video interview that while in the conference room, she claimed Harris grabbed her breasts and between her legs. She claimed that after she had appeared in court Harris again directed her towards a consultation room secured by a number pad on the other side of the court building. There she claimed he slapped her bottom and kissed her.

She later told police she attempted to tell him to stop but he pushed his hands down her jeans and touched her intimately. She said he then grabbed her hand and rubbed it onto his privates.