'Me Too' moment for alleged assault victim

INMATE ACCUSED PLYMOUTH SOLICITOR OF SEX ASSAULT

- By CARL EVE

A MAN who claims he was sexually assaulted by a Plymouth solicitor in the cells of Plymouth Magistrates’ Court told a jury he eventually complained to police as this was his “MeToo” moment.

Alan Harris, 71, from Thorn Park in Plymouth, faces 30 charges which include rape and sexual assault, and is on trial at Winchester Crown Court. He denies all the allegations.

In answer to questions from Prosecutor Anne Whyte KC, Male H - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - said he first came into contact with Harris when he was either 14 or 15 years old. He said he thought Harris was a duty solicitor when he first met him.

Over the next few years he got into more trouble because by this stage he was “a drug addict, a heroin addict - I didn’t care about nothing other than my next fix.”

He said Harris was fully aware he was a heroin addict.

In 2022, by now in his late 30s, Male H told police that sometime between 2001 and 2004 when he was still a teenager, he was sexually assaulted by Harris in Plymouth Magistrates’ Court cells.

At this time he said he was aged in his mid to late teens and, due to his addiction, he was often withdrawing, suffering pain and was always desperate to get out of the court and back onto the street as soon as possible to buy more heroin.

Male H, speaking from the witness box, told the jury that when a solicitor came into the cells it was considered to be a confidential meeting and so security officers would not interrupt or open the door.

He said the law firm headed by Harris had a “good reputation” for “getting people back out of custody”.

He said Harris came in and sat next to him and they spoke about the case before Harris told him, “I'll get you out”. They then stood up and at this point Male H said he was “upset” and Harris “cuddled me”.