Child sex abuse trial hears from alleged victim

Tuesday 25 July 2017

The trial of a 51-year-old man, accused of 13 counts of sexual offences, has heard testimony from an alleged victim.

Martin James Jegou – formerly known as Martin James Ridgway Richardson – denies all the charges.

They include six counts of indecent assault, four counts of procuring an act of gross indecency and three counts of rape against two young girls between 1997 and 2003.

Mr Jegou changed his name by deed poll after his arrest in January 2016.

One of the alleged victims told the Royal Court yesterday that she was "shocked and scared" when the abuse she says she faced as a child first started. Although the alleged offences are said to have taken place between many years ago, the complainant only recently reported them to the Police in 2015. 

Commenting on why she only recently reported the alleged abuse, the complainant told the Court: "I feel like I need to stand up for myself... I wanted to tell my story. I wanted them to lock him up for what he did to me." 

In his opening speech, Crown Advocate Conrad Yates described the charges brought against Mr Jegou as “specimen charges,” meaning that they are a sample of the abuse that the victim alleges happened to her as a child.

In his cross-examination of the complainant, Defence Advocate Michael Haines questioned the witness on the specific timings and location of the alleged abuse. He also asked the complainant about other witness testimonies which do not corroborate her version of events.

The trial is expected to last until Friday and continues this morning with rest of the Defence's cross-examination of this witness.