Last updated at 13:23, Thursday, 17 May 2012

A man accused of trying to rape a 13-year-old girl told a court that he couldn’t remember ever being alone with her.

Norman Foster Bousfield, the 57-year-old quarry worker accused of a string of sex offences against the girl, told a jury that there was no truth in any of her accusations.

The girl has claimed that Bousfield began assaulting her after she visited him and his partner to see their baby.

She said he frequently made suggestive remarks to her, and told her she had a nice body which he enjoyed seeing in a short skirt.

But she said it came as “a massive shock” the first time he assaulted her – by putting his hand up her skirt.

From then on, she said, his behaviour got worse and, over the next few weeks, he sexually assaulted her up to 20 times.

He tried to have sex with her but failed because she struggled so much, the jury heard.

The girl said Bousfield warned her not to tell anyone what he had been doing to her.

Bousfield, of Fletcher Hill Park, Kirkby Stephen, has pleaded not guilty to one charge of attempted rape, three of sexual activity with a child and one of inciting her to engage in sexual activity with him.

And in evidence Bousfield said he had not been alone with the girl, had not phoned her to invite her over to his house, had not asked her to help him bath his baby and had not touched her in any way.

The trial continues.

First published at 11:24, Thursday, 17 May 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk