Sex case trial hears of alleged victim's fears

8:25am Tuesday 9th September 2008

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A MAN accused of sexually abusing a young girl also indecently assaulted a boy, a court has been told.

Neil Bennett, 50, of Forest Edge, in Buckhurst Hill, faces a total of 13 charges of sexual abuse, involving a girl and a boy, dating back to 1997.

Speaking at Snaresbrook Crown Court, the male alleged victim, now in his 20s, recounted a game of snap he played with Mr Bennett and the other complainant when they were young.

He told the court Mr Bennett changed the rules of the game halfway through.

He said: “It was a game I wasn’t aware of at the time, but I’ve come to know it as strip poker. Anyone who had the best hand kept their clothes on. Anyone who didn’t took it off. It ended up with all of us removing articles of clothing.”

A few years later, the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he visited Mr Bennett at the children’s charity Barnardo’s, in Barkingside, where the accused worked as a painter and decorator.

He said Mr Bennett showed him a pornographic magazine in his boss’s drawer.

Describing how his relationship with Mr Bennett changed, the man said one day the accused exposed his private parts to him and asked him to do the same.

He told the court that on another evening he was at Mr Bennett’s former home in New North Road, Hainault, when the accused put on a ten-minute adult TV preview.

The alleged victim said: “He explained to me what it was about and said it was to relieve tension towards the opposite sex.”

He said Mr Bennett then performed a sex act in front of him and encouraged him to do the same.

Over a period of years he said Mr Bennett would regularly indecently assault him and ask him to perform sexual acts on him.

He told the court: “I just thought it was wrong, but I was so trapped I didn’t know what to do so I allowed it to happen. I couldn’t tell anybody. I was too ashamed to tell anybody. I was scared.”

In 2000 the other complainant in the trial made a number of allegations against Mr Bennett, but no criminal charges were brought.

The male complainant was among people interviewed by police at the time. On that occasion he sided with Mr Bennett and said the female accuser was a liar.

This taped interview was shown to the court.

Explaining his former attitude, the man said: “I didn’t tell the truth at that meeting. I lied through my front teeth about it all. Since I did that interview it’s haunted me for the rest of my life. It’s been with me ever since, and I wanted to relieve that now by coming forward and giving my account.”

Cross-examining the alleged victim, defence barrister David Owen-Jones said: “If you were lying it was the most appalling bit of lying knowing as a result of those lies [the other complainant] would be disbelieved.

“If you had been abused as you say you were you knew jolly well that there was a very good chance that what [was being alleged] would be true. It wasn’t as if this mad girl was making up false allegations. You as an abusee must have thought ‘there’s an element of truth in that - it happened to me’.”

The man replied: “At that time I was a very vulnerable child. At that age I was thinking of getting a good job and a good future.”

Under questioning, the man admitted he had met with the other complainant in the trial four years ago, and had maintained steady contact with her since.

Mr Owen-Jones said: “This is a collusion. You conspired to make false, awful allegations against this man. One of the reasons you made up these allegations is that you wanted financial gain by appealing to the Criminal Injuries Board.”

The man replied: “I’ve never made a statement for compensation. I’ve come here for justice not for financial gain. At no time have I asked for money or anything like that. All I want is to see that man behind bars.”

Mr Owen-Jones also asked the man why he took so long to come forward to the police, and why he had told no-one before.

The man replied he was scared he would not be believed.

Mr Bennett faces two charges of rape, two of attempted rape, five of indecent assault, and two of indecency with a child - all said to have taken place with a young girl.

He also faces two charges of indecent assault on a boy aged under 16.

All the alleged offences are said to have been committed between 1997 and 2000.

Mr Bennett denies all the charges against him.

The trial continues.