Recap: Nicholas Crawshaw rape trial - Thursday updates from Warrington Crown Court

Signing off

The Crawshaw trial has finished for the day. Thank you for following our live updates of today’s proceedings. They will continue when the case resumes tomorrow morning.

Jury sent home

Crawshaw has finished giving evidence. Judge Landale calls an end to proceedings for the day and sends the jury home.

'You are a liar'

Mr Mills said: “Mr Crawshaw, you are a liar aren’t you? You are a liar, you are a sexual predator, you are a rapist. In this case you have been confronted with witness after witness that’s told the jury what you are and you just say that’s not true.” Crawshaw replied: “If it was true I would admit it but it’s just not true.” The cross examination has finished.

Making recording

Crawshaw is asked if he has ever recorded any other women after they have had sex. He says there was possibly one occasion between the alleged incidents with the sixth and seventh complainants.

'Designed to take revenge'

Regarding the seventh complainant, Mr Mills said: “What you’ve done with her is you’ve designed a series of events, knowing they would have to be put to her in a courtroom, to humiliate and upset her. It was designed to take revenge on her.” Crawshaw said: “No never, how would I have done that?”

On bail

Mr Mills said: “Just a week later, when you are on bail suspected of rape, you are taking another girl who had been drinking back to the very same house.”

'No passion'

Mr Mills said: “From what you’ve said it’s extraordinary consensual sex where there’s no passion. You had her in your room, you had her in your bed and you raped her.” Crawshaw says ‘no, never’.

Manipulated 'drugged up' girl

Regarding the selfies of the two of them taken on Crawshaw’s phone, Mr Mills said: “You manipulated this drunk, drugged up girl to take selfies on your phone to use in case she ever told what had happened.” Crawshaw denies this.

Sixth complainant

Mr Mills is now running through the allegation made by the sixth complainant. He said: “This is the early hours of the morning. She had a lot to drink, she had been given her cocaine by you. She told you no but you carried on anyway. That’s what happened isn’t it?” Crawshaw says no.

The prosecution said it would give Crawshaw an opportunity to say he had consensual sex with the fifth complainant. Mr Mills said: “You’ve got that picture staring you in the face. You now have the opportunity to say something different about her.” Crawshaw says he is being 100% honest about it.

'Whopping lie'

Mr Mills said: “You’ve been caught out in a absolute blatant whopping lie and what you are doing now is you are just seamlessly trying to avoid it. You are just in total denial.” Crawshaw says he is being completely honest.

Facebook photo in Cruise

Mr Mills is now talking about the picture which the prosecution claims shows Crawshaw in Cruise on the night of the alleged incident. Crawshaw denies being in the club that night and said the picture must have been taken on a subsequent night. Mr Mills said the photo was uploaded to Facebook the night after the alleged incident and this is shown by a timestamp. Crawshaw said the watch he was wearing in the photo was bought while he was in Istanbul.

Keeping options open

When first interviewed by police about these allegations. Crawshaw provided a statement where he denied having ‘non consensual sex’ with her. Mr Mills suggests this was him keeping his options open at the time. Crawshaw said this is not true.

Resting and packing

Mr Mills is now talking about the fifth complainant. He said: “Humour me for a second. There’s enough time for you to have left the club, spent a decent amount of time resting and packing before you went to the airport to fly to Turkey.” Crawshaw admits yes.

'You went and did it anyway'

The prosecution is now talking about the fourth complainant. Crawshaw said they previously had a ‘friends with benefits’ sexual relationship and he cannot remember them falling out at any point. Mr Mills said of the alleged incident in question: “You wanted sex with her, she didn’t want sex with you, but you went and did it anyway.” Crawshaw said this was not true.

'Case is absurd'

Mr Mills said: “Why, at a different time in her life, lie to her friends about being raped by you?” Crawshaw said he does not know. Mr Mills said: “Your case is frankly just absurd isn’t it Mr Crawshaw?”

'Sophisticated lie'

Mr Mills is reciting the third complainant’s version of events. He said: “She has to have fabricated all of this and has to have been wicked enough to make it up alongside the fourth complainant (who also said Crawshaw raped her at the same spot in Grosvenor Park). It’s a very sophisticated lie isn’t it?” Crawshaw wipes away tears and says ‘yes, it’s not true at all’.

Judge and jury returns

Judge Tina Landale and the jury have returned to the courtroom.

Cross examination to continue

The trial will resume shortly. Mr Mills will continue his cross examination of the defendant. Earlier he accused Crawshaw of giving a ‘careful, practiced performance’ in the witness box.

Lunch break

Court has now broken for lunch.

In prison for 10 months

Crawshaw said: “I’ve been in prison for 10 months. I can’t control what people say when they are in the dock.” Mr Mills asks if he would want to control want people say. Crawshaw says no.

A question of lies

Mr Mills said: “If you’re right, it’s not just the complainant who is lying, it’s also her friend who was in your house who came in and perjured herself. And you are telling me there’s no reason for her doing that?” Crawshaw says yes.

Version of events

Mr Mills put the complainant’s version of events to the defendant. He said: “That’s you all over it isn’t it Mr Crawshaw.” Crawshaw said: “No not at all. I would’ve never went for anyone below my age.”

First complainant

Mr Mills is asking Crawshaw about the first complainant. The defendant insists he did not know her and did not even recognise her when he saw the video interview.

Trail of misery

Mr Mills said: “What is it about your life that has left such a trail of misery behind you?” Crawshaw said: “I heard of rumours in the past. My mum has always told me not to fight fire with fire and I moved on from it which must have left the gateway open for people to make allegations.”

'Crawshaw is arrogant'

Mr Mills says Crawshaw is arrogant and reads through a list of names who the defendant suggests are lying in the case. Crawshaw says some are only reciting what they heard from the alleged victims.

'Sexual predator'

Simon Mills, prosecuting, is now cross examining Crawshaw. He accuses him of being a ‘manipulative and devious sexual predator’.

Police at the house

Crawshaw said he started trying to contact the complainant the day after the alleged incident when he realised the police were at his house. He said he was ‘scared’ following the allegations made the week before.

Use of phone

Crawshaw said he never kept the complainant’s phone from her because they were using it to play music.

Kissing sound

A kissing sound can be heard on the recording. The complainant said it was him kissing her neck. Crawshaw said: “We were both kissing each other, 100%.”