The trial of Hoole man Nicholas Crawshaw continues today (Tuesday, February 23) 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 Mike Fuller is providing updates from today's proceedings.
Signing off
Proceedings at Warrington Crown Court in the Nicholas Crawshaw trial have come to an end for today. Thank you for following our live updates throughout the day. Live coverage from the hearing will resume tomorrow morning.
Jury sent home
Mr Mills has finished reading out the interview. Judge Tina Landale calls an end to proceedings for the day and sends the jury home.
School rumours
Crawshaw said he was not aware of any rumours circulating at school in 2010 about an incident between him and the complainant. Crawshaw accused the police of not investigating his side of the story. DC Booth said he does not accept this.
Football career
Crawshaw was asked what he was doing at that time in his life. He said: “I was always playing football, I was playing football full time. I was at Chester City, then at Wrexham, then I was at Man United but then I got a bad knee injury.”
No sexual contact
The second complainant has accused Crawshaw of raping her in 2010 while she was underage. They went to the same Chester high school. Crawshaw said he could not tell police anything about the incident because he did not know what it was and he and the alleged victim had never had any sexual contact.
Asked for explanation
The interviewing officer asked the 23-year-old if he would have any explanation as to why the first complainant was making these accusations against him. He said: “Obviously I don’t know what this is about so no I don’t know.”
Knew of second complainant
Crawshaw was asked if he knew the second complainant. He said he ‘knew of her’, but didn’t know her very well and it did not help him remember the first complainant.
Version of events
Accounts of the complainant’s version of events were put to Crawshaw. He said they did not job his memory.
Knows nothing of first alleged attack
The first complainant accused Crawshaw of sexually assaulting her twice in 2010 while she was still underage. Crawshaw said he did not know anything about it and does not know anyone with the name of the alleged victim.
Other complainants
Mr Mills is moving on to the interview conducted in relation to the first and second complainants in the case.
Officer's question
The interviewing officer said: “If you were so scared about people doing this to you that you are recording conversations, why would you leave yourself in this situation with two girls in your house?” Crawshaw said: “I don’t know. I was just trying to be nice.”
Disputed version of events
Another interview was conducted with Crawshaw in June 2015 in relation to the allegations made by the seventh complainant. This gave officers a chance to put her evidence to him. Crawshaw disputed her version of events and maintained his own.
'I'm not a rapist'
The interviewing officer said: “Between the circumstances surrounding your arrest this week and last week they are both young girls who had been drinking and you took advantage of them.” Crawshaw said: “I would never take advantage of anyone. I would never do anything like that. I’m not a rapist and I would never make someone do something they didn’t want to do. I’ve been brought up to respect females and that’s what I do. If you put a bible right in front of me right now I will swear on it.”
'By mutual consent'
Crawshaw said the sex was ‘definitely by mutual consent’ and he ‘didn’t know what to think’ after his mum told him the police wanted to speak to him. He said: “Obviously after what happened to me last week I was scared.”
'Honest truth'
Crawshaw said: “I’m not lying about anything. I’m trying to give you the honest truth. Try being in my position, it’s hard.”
Just being 'nice'
Crawshaw said he thought it was him being ‘nice’ inviting the complainant back to his when he said she was not herself and ‘didn’t want to be at the Live Rooms’.
iPad recording
Crawshaw told police about the iPad recording he made in the morning. He said: “I made it for my own protection because after everything I’ve been through I’m scared of having girls round. So I recorded her and me talking on the iPad in the morning.”
Told about accusations
Crawshaw said they talked and each discussed their problems. He said he told her about the accusations which had been made against him a week earlier.
Had sex four times
After going to find the complainant’s friend and bring her back to his house, he said he made the friend a bed in the living room and went back upstairs. Crawshaw said he took more cocaine and after the viagra kicked in, he and the alleged victim had sex four times through the night.
Viagra pill
Crawshaw told police they went into the walk-in wardrobe on the middle floor of his house. He said they tried and failed to have sex after taking cocaine. Crawshaw said he remembered he had a viagra pill and took it with the complainant’s consent.
Met at The Live Rooms
Crawshaw said he met the complainant at the Live Rooms on the night of the alleged incident. He said they went back to his because it looked like she ‘didn’t want to be there’. Crawshaw said they kissed as they walked back to his house and this continued once they got inside.
Seventh alleged victim
Crawshaw was bailed following that interview. Mr Mills is now moving on to the interview conducted in regard to the allegations made by the seventh complainant in June 2015.
Asked about rape claim
Crawshaw was asked why he thought the complainant might have said he had raped her. He replied: “I don’t know. Maybe because she has a boyfriend and she doesn’t want him to know that she has been behind his back.”
'Don't tell my boyfriend'
Crawshaw said the complainant told him not to tell her boyfriend that she had been there as she got a taxi home the following morning.
Woman did not ask him to stop
Crawshaw was asked if the complainant at any point asked him to stop or said she didn’t want to. He said she did not.
Attempts to have sex
Crawshaw was asked to describe the attempt to have sex in as much detail as possible. He said: “I was on top but it just wasn’t working. It was literally just a few seconds and it just wouldn’t work. We got back under the covers, she took a few selfies on her phone and we both snorted more cocaine.’
Kissing on the way home
Crawshaw said there was kissing as they got back to the house. He said they went straight up to his room and put a movie on before attempting to have sex.
Cocaine request
Crawshaw said after the complainant initially came over to him and asked if he had any cocaine, he didn’t want to hand any over in the club. He said he had been snorting it in toilets at Rosie’s. Crawshaw added it was probably both of their ideas to go back to his house.
Met at Rosie's
Crawshaw said he and the complainant had met in Rosie’s nightclub on the night of the alleged incident. He said she asked if he could give her any cocaine. Crawshaw said they went back to his to take cocaine and they tried to have sex, but they did not because he could not get an erection.
