The trial of Hoole man Nicholas Crawshaw continues today (Monday, February 22) 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

We are bringing the live coverage of the Nicholas Crawshaw trial to a close for today. Thank you for following our live updates throughout the day. Chronicle reporter Mike Fuller will be back at Warrington Crown Court in the morning to resume live coverage of the case.

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The way she was sitting

The cross examination has finished. Mr Mills asks what is it about the snapchat photo which made her think it was taken by the complainant. The witness said it was the way she was sitting and the closeness of the picture.

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Selfie question

The witness said she could not see any arms or hands in the snapchat photo. Mr Le Brocq asks if this would be the case if the person had taken a selfie. She says yes.

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'I'm just being honest'

Mr Le Brocq said: “Are you trying to help your friend out with the answers you are giving? I’m suggesting to you that she went off with Nick Crawshaw quite happily that night.” The witness said: “I’m just being honest. She didn’t really have much conversation with him.”

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Alleged victim spoke of attack

The witness said the friend, who gave evidence earlier today, went to Crawshaw’s house, while she and another friend went home. She said she later got a snapchat image from the complainant at about 5am which was captioned ‘drunk’, but she thought it was taken by her friend because it showed her sat on a bed. The witness adds the following day she got a phone call from the alleged victim saying Crawshaw had attacked her.

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Tried to call friend

The witness said she did not see the complainant again after leaving her in the smoking area. She said along with her friends they tried to call the alleged victim and a male voice answered the phone.

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'Very friendly'

The witness said Crawshaw first came over to them in the smoking area in the Live Rooms. He was ‘very friendly’ and invited them back to his house where he said he was hosting an after party.

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On a night out

A friend of the seventh complainant in the case is now being examined by counsel. She said she was on the night out with the complainant and other friends on the day of the alleged incident.

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'He kissed me off guard'

Mr Mills asks what happened in the kitchen. The witness said: “Every time he kissed me it was off guard and that was the same. He pushed me up against the wall hard. It wasn’t something I wanted to happen.” The witness has finished giving evidence.

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Phone calls

There were phone calls between Crawshaw and the witness at a later date. Mr Le Brocq said this was because nothing had happened between them. She says what she has said is true. The cross examination has finished.

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Delay in coming to police

Mr Le Brocq said she didn’t come forward to police at the time of the alleged incident. He asks if she had seen reports of allegations against Crawshaw at a later date and spoke to police because she decided she didn’t like the defendant. She says this isn’t true.

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'Forceful' kissing

The defence is now talking about the night at Crawshaw’s house. Mr le Brocq said: ”What happened in the kitchen simply isn’t true. There was kissing between you two, but it was mutual.” The witness said she did kiss him back, but he was ‘forceful’.

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'You wanted his number'

Mr Le Brocq said: “You wanted his number because you wanted this connection to his cocaine dealer.” The woman says this isn’t true.

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Cocaine claim

Mr Le Brocq is now cross examining the witness. He said: “Let me put something to you, the reason you first came by Nick Crawshaw is because you realised his friend could supply you with cocaine.” The witness denies this

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Crawshaw apologised

The witness said Crawshaw apologised via text the next day.

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Crawshaw got angry

She said Crawshaw followed her into the kitchen before pushing her up against the wall and kissing her. She called for her friend and said she wanted to go home. The witness said Crawshaw got angry and said she had led her on. After an argument the defendant eventually unlocked the door to let them leave.

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Asked her to stay

The witness says Crawshaw asked if she would stay with her in his room while her friend stayed in the spare room. She said she would stay at home, the court heard.

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Tour of the house

The witness said she kissed Crawshaw in Off The Wall on the night out. He invited her and her friend back to his house and said there was a party. But there was nobody else there when they got there. Crawshaw offered to give them a tour of the three storey townhouse.

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'He seemed quite hyper'

The witness said she met Crawshaw on a night out in May 2015. They chatted and exchanged numbers. She said the next time she saw him out in Chester at the beginning of June. She said: “He was making me laugh but he seemed quite hyper.”

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Different witness

Prosecutor Simon Mills has called a different witness who must give evidence today. He says it is in relation to an incident the jury knows nothing about at this stage.

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Court about to resume

Court is about to resume. Another friend of the complainant is due to give evidence.

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Lunch break

The trial has now broken for lunch.

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Nervous giggles

Mr Le Brocq asks if she and the complainant laughed at Crawshaw when they saw him arriving at the police station. She says the alleged victim was crying while she ‘got the nervous giggles’ and tried to duck down so he couldn’t see her. The witness has finished giving evidence.

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Not scared of Crawshaw

Mr Le Brocq said: “The implication of what you are saying is that there was a large part of the night when she was being subjected to sexual assaults while you were sleeping downstairs. She could’ve called out and you would’ve come running?” The witness said she would have done because she was not scared of Crawshaw.

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Sleeping arrangements

Mr Le Brocq said: “When he told you these sleeping arrangements you didn’t go and check any of this out did you? Clearly you didn’t have any suspicions. The simple reason for that is you thought the two were in bed together.” The witness said she did not suspect that because Crawshaw had repeatedly told her the sleeping arrangements.

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Feelings of guilt

Mr Le Brocq is now cross examining the witness. He said: “You feel a lot of guilt about that night don’t you? Because of that guilt you are trying to make up for it by supporting your friend’s allegation in court.” The witness denies this.

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'Never gave consent'

The witness said: “In the taxi she first just said she never wanted to see Nick again. She then told me what happened and said she never gave consent.”

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Complainant wanted to leave

The witness said: “In the morning it just seemed like (the complainant) just wanted to leave. She took her phone out to call a taxi and Nick took it off her and said he would call it for her.”

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'Asked me for a kiss'

The witness said: “At one point I woke up and his face was so close to my face. He was asking me for a kiss.”

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'He was pestering me'

Mr Mills asked what she was expecting to see when he got to his house. She said: “I thought there would be some of his mates there. He made up the bed on the sofa and said he was sleeping on the top floor and my friend was on the middle floor. But throughout the night he was just pestering me.”

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