An alleged victim has told a court how she was twice groped by Nick Crawshaw while she was still a schoolgirl.
The Chester man forced himself on her in two separate incidents in his bedroom and at school, a jury heard.
Crawshaw, 23, of West Street, Hoole, faces six counts of rape, three of sexual assault and two charges of assault by penetration between 2010 and 2012 from eight alleged victims.
The trial at Warrington Crown Court heard evidence from the first complainant in the case on Tuesday (October 4).
She said: “I was scared because he was so much older.
“He kept persisting saying that I was alright with him and I wasn’t going to get hurt or anything.”
The two incidents are alleged to have taken place between January and May of 2010.
Crawshaw had invited her and a friend back to his family’s house in Boughton after passing them sitting on a park bench in the rain, the court heard.
The girl, who said she knew the defendant through school, was upset after recently splitting up with her boyfriend.
The complainant said: “He invited me upstairs alone. I thought he wanted to comfort me at the time and thought nothing of it.
“Once we were in his room it escalated quite quickly. He was very forceful towards me and tried to kiss me.
“He was groping me and he pushed me on to the bed. I was scared. He took his jeans down and was pressing down on me.
“Nick was assuring me I was safe, but I persisted I wanted to go back downstairs.”
The alleged victim said Crawshaw only stopped after she threatened to shout for help.
He angrily hauled open the door and after they went downstairs she told her friend immediately she wanted to go home, the court heard.
After leaving Crawshaw’s house she said she was ‘crying and shaking’, but was scared to tell her friend as she was not sure if she would believe her.
The second incident is alleged to have taken place at the Chester high school they both attended.
The complainant walked past Crawshaw in the corridor during lesson time and sat down next to him.
Again he quickly put his hand on her leg and moved it towards the girl’s knickers while trying to kiss her, the court heard.
This time she was able to get up and walk away.
She said: “I remember feeling a bit sick because of what had happened in his house.
“I couldn’t believe he thought he could do it again even though the first time I was so adamant I wasn’t interested.”
Mark Le Brocq, defending, accused the complainant of lying about the incidents.
He said: “At the time in the school there were lots of rumours flying around about Nick Crawshaw and his conduct with women weren’t there?
“You were one of the people, along with your friend who is also a complainant, who were responsible for those false rumours weren’t you?”
The complainant said that was not true.
Mr Le Brocq said: “Bearing in mind what you say happened at his house, surely the next time you saw him you would run a mile?”
The complainant said: “I just didn’t think he would do something like that in school.”
Crawshaw denies all the charges against him.
Judge Tina Landale is presiding over the trial, which is expected to last about three weeks.
The trial at Warrington Crown Court continues.
