The trial of Hoole man Nicholas Crawshaw continues today (Friday, February 19) at Warrington Crown Court. The 23-year-old is accused of 16 sex offences, including 10 rapes, against seven victims between 2010 and 2015. Crawshaw denies all of the charges against him.
Chronicle reporter Frances Barrett will be providing updates from today's proceedings when the seventh and final alleged victim is due to give evidence.
Signing off
The Nicholas Crawshaw trial has finished for today. Thank you for following our live updates throughout the morning. The case is due to resume on Monday, February 22 at Warrington Crown Court at 10.30am when more evidence from the final alleged victim is due to be heard.
Jury dismissed for the day
The jury has been dismissed for the day. The case is to resume at 10.30am on Monday.
iPad audio recording made by Crawshaw
The video interview has concluded. An audio recording Crawshaw made on his iPad the morning after of a conversation between him and the complainant is played to the jury. It is agreed by the prosecution and defence that the recording was made without the complainant’s knowledge. The pair discussed the drugs they took the night before with Crawshaw joking about how they should go to rehab. Kissing can also be heard on the recording.
Text messages in taxi
Crawshaw sent her a Facebook message while she was in the taxi, she said, telling her something ‘completely out of the blue’ about a nose bleed which she thought might be his way of testing the ground to see if she was annoyed with him. But she did not reply. He messaged her again asking if she saw where he put his cards to which she replied ‘no’. The police officer asked her why she replied and she said it’s because she did not want him to know she was going to the police station.
Taking cocaine
She said he encouraged her to take cocaine during the night which she did but deliberately knocked some on the floor, taking what was left.
She was scared of him
She told police she probably would not have gone to the police if it had been her choice because she was scared of him and scared that he would show up at her house if he did not get ‘put away’.
What she said to friend
When she and her friend got in the taxi, she says she told her that she never wanted to see Crawshaw again but did not explain why in front of the driver.
'Genuine fear'
She said she felt ‘genuine fear’ throughout the night so did not really question him and did not let on that she was annoyed at him because she thought he would never let her leave if she did.
Calling for a taxi
Her friend woke up and Crawshaw called a taxi for them. When it arrived, he said to her ‘you can’t tell anyone you were here last night’. He told her to tell people she slept on a different floor to Crawshaw, she claimed.
'Quite manipulative'
The alleged victim told police she thought Crawshaw was ‘quite manipulative’ and that some of the things he was saying were ‘not normal’. She said he asked her that, if she was pregnant with his child, would she keep the baby or have a termination. She says he also asked her to swear on her mum’s life that she would never have sex with anyone else again. But she told him she would never swear on anyone’s life.
Getting some sleep
The complainant says she eventually got some sleep and tried to make excuses to leave in the morning but he told her that her friend was still asleep downstairs. When he tried to have sex with her again, she said she burst out crying and then he looked shocked that she was upset. She says she told him she was crying because she did not feel well.
Panic attack
They had sex against her will again, she said, while the film Kingsman was playing in the background. She says she had a panic attack. “I was getting stressed with the fact that he would not stop.”
'I was scared'
She says she did not feel she could leave because she was ‘frightened’ of him. “I was scared because he has been in this situation before. The whole time I was getting annoyed. I kept saying I did not feel well because I did not want him to know he had upset and scared me because I was scared he would not let me leave the house.”
'It's not like I'm a stranger'
Back in the bedroom, she claims he kissed her and again she told him she did not want to. She said: “There were times when he said I do not know why you are being like this. It is me, it’s not like I’m a stranger.” She says they had sex again against her will. Then she asked to go to the bathroom so he went with her and watched her, she thinks because she had her phone with her and that he may have thought she would try to call somebody.
Rape claim
She continued to tell the police officer that she wrapped herself in a throw but he pulled her towards him and then claimed he raped her. She says she told him repeatedly she did not want to have sex but he said to her ‘why are you being like this?’ Her friend then called and he went to meet her. The complainant stayed at the house and when Crawshaw returned, he is alleged to have told her that her friend was already asleep. She says she did not really believe her friend was there.
Police officer's question
The police officer conducting the interview asks the complainant if she now thinks in the cold light of day that Crawshaw knew she did not want to have sex. The complainant says yes.
Sex assault claim
Crawshaw called her friend and told him they were in a chip shop. She says he then sexually assaulted her but did not force or push her down but did put his body weight on her so she could not get up from the bed. She says he told her ‘do not worry, I will not do anything else’. But she claims he kept pestering her to perform a sex act on him which she eventually submitted to, hoping it would mean they would not have intercourse. She says she pushed him off.
Crawshaw asked for sex
Crawshaw’s alleged victim claims they were sitting on his bed when he asked if they were going to have sex several times. She told him no, she says, and that she did not want to. She kissed him because she felt ‘uncomfortable’ and to ‘shut him up’. She claims he asked again if they were going to have sex, then asked her to take her clothes off which she did because, again, she thought it would ‘shut him up’.
'A little bit scared'
The complainant said: “I was a little bit scared because he had already taken my phone off me at this point. I was a little bit frightened by him.”
Going back to Crawshaw's
The complainant recalls that The Live Rooms was very crowded which made her anxieties flare up so she said she would get a taxi home. But Crawshaw invited her back to his to watch TV until her friend arrived because he was planning on having a party afterwards. She said she felt comfortable and ‘not scared at all’ as they walked back to his. When they arrived, she says he asked her to ‘give me a kiss’ and they kissed for the first time. He then asked her upstairs to his bedroom where she thought they would just watch television.
Drinking at The Live Rooms
At The Live Rooms, she says she had one daiquiri and a vodka lemonade to drink as well as one quarter of a pill she believed to be ecstasy but she says she did not feel out of control and did not think the pill had any effect on her.
Pre-night out drinks
Before arriving at The Live Rooms in June last year, she said she drank about four gins and lemonades.
'Always nice to me'
She said Crawshaw ‘always used to look after’ her on nights out when she had panic attacks. ‘He was always a nice person to me,’ she told police.
Bumped into Crawshaw
The complainant says she was on a night out with friends in Chester when she bumped into Crawshaw who was a friend of a friend.
Video interview
A video interview conducted by police with the final complainant in the case in June last year will now be played to the jury.
Jury arrives
The jury members are taking their seats as the Nicholas Crawshaw trial prepares to resume in Warrington.
Court about to start
Parties involved in the Nicholas Crawshaw case have been called into the courtroom at Warrington Crown Court.
New start time
We have just heard the Nicholas Crawshaw trial is now not due to resume until 10.30am today.
Delayed start
No activity yet in the courtroom at Warrington Crown Court which is only due to sit this morning.
Nicholas Crawshaw hearing due to resume at 10am
Good morning.
Today we’ll be bringing you live updates from the trial of Nicholas Crawshaw.
The trial got under way last week and you can click HERE to read what happened in court yesterday.
Also, an extremely important warning has been issued by the judge regarding the naming of any alleged victim.
And Cheshire Police have said anyone who identifies a complainant will be ‘arrested very quickly’.
We urge anyone reading this blog to read more about this HERE.
Chronicle reporter Frances Barrett is in court and will be bringing you updates from today’s proceedings, which are due to begin shortly after 10am.