A JAILED rapist has denied the indecent assault of a seven-year-old girl.

A jury heard the allegation against Paul Hamlett, 38, which came to light after a family friend of the youngster, now 15, contacted the police.

Hamlett was jailed for seven years in November after he was found guilty of raping a 13-year-old schoolgirl.

The new charge is that he indecently assaulted a girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on her seventh birthday.

Hamlett, who before his conviction lived at Albert Terrace, Cefn-y-Bedd, pleaded not guilty.

A recent change in the law allowed Karl Scholz, prosecuting, to inform the jury of four men and eight women of Hamlett's previous convictions, saying it was something they were entitled to take into account, but warned his previous convictions did not imply guilt on this occasion.

The teenager, who gave evidence at Chester Crown Court via a video link, claims Hamlett took her back to his flat on her seventh birthday.

Mr Scholz told the jury the girl had not contacted the police about the incident herself, but a family friend had come forward when he heard of Hamlett's rape conviction.

The girl claims that on her seventh birthday Hamlett had took her to his flat, with the permission of her mother, but while there he removed her underwear and began touching her. She said she started screaming but Hamlett put his hand over her mouth to make her stop.

She alleges she told her stepfather what had happened and he punched Hamlett in the face. The man who later contacted the police said he was at the girl's house when she returned home and was told of the alleged incident.

Michael Wolfe, defending, referred to the girl's police interview where she described Hamlett's flat. He put it to her the description of the layout was incorrect. He also asked her why she had not reported the incident to police earlier.

She said her mother had never been told of the incident and her stepfather told her not to tell anyone and refused to report it, saying 'it would never go all the way'.

As the Mail went to press, the trial was continuing.