Rape accused claims "ticklishness" as defence

Thursday 28 November 2019

A man accused of raping a teenage girl has denied that he requested a massage before the alleged attack, as he says he has always been too "ticklish" to receive one.

Ian Pryor is on trial for two counts of rape, along with Anthony John Quant who is facing one count of rape and one count of indecent assault - all of which both men deny.

The offences are alleged to have happened some decades ago at St. Aubin’s Fort.

On the first day of the trial, Crown Advocate Emma Hollywood, who is leading the prosecution, told the jury the alleged victim had been raped twice by Mr Pryor and once by Mr Quant who had then gone on to indecently assault her, whilst she was being raped by Mr Pryor for the second time.  

The alleged victim was the first witness to give evidence during the trial. She told the jury of five women and six men that she didn’t speak at first and just cried.  

“I was a virgin,” she said. “I couldn’t do anything… There was nothing I could do to make it stop.”

Pictured: The offences are alleged to have happened some decades ago at St. Aubin’s Fort.

One of her friends also gave evidence, saying the alleged victim had been "distressed" and "sobbing uncontrollably" the day after the alleged assaults took place. 

Yesterday, on the third day of the trial, Detective Sergeant Rob Manners, the lead officer in the case, was called by the prosecution to help read the transcripts of Messrs. Pryor and Quant’s interviews with the police. 

In his interview, Mr Pryor said he had nothing to hide and hadn’t done anything. 

He said he didn’t find the alleged victim attractive at all at the time of the alleged assaults and wouldn’t “give her a second glance”. He used many expletives to refer to her, and described her as “a vindictive woman.” 

When officers put to Mr Pryor that the alleged victim had been asked to give him a massage and obliged “for a few seconds”, he denied she had done so. “I never had a massage in my life because I’m ticklish,” he replied. “I can’t do it.”

The man also said he didn’t drink spirits, including vodka, denying he had shared a bottle with the alleged victim.

Pictured: Transcripts of the accused's interviews with the police were read in court yesterday.

After hearing the basis of the woman’s complaints, Mr Pryor replied: “She is a good storywriter, I’ll give her that.”

“I would like to see [the alleged victim] go down for this,” he added. “She has caused me years of misery.”

Mr Pryor suggested the woman had asked her “mates to say stuff” about him and described her accusations as a “bag of lies."

“It hasn’t happened,” he said. “I feel like I am being hunted… I have not had sex with that bl**** cow… I cannot think why she would say that… I am not a f***ing rapist… I haven’t f***ing done anything.”

In a separate interview, Mr Pryor said he "honestly [had] no recollection of having sex with her or raping her”, and had “never raped anybody and never will."

“It’s something that doesn’t come into my head, it just doesn’t happen.”

Advocate Luke Sette, Mr Pryor’s lawyer, called his former wife to give evidence for the defence. The woman described Mr Pryor as “a good father and husband”, as well as “laid back, sociable, good fun, very kind, and generally a very nice and genuine man."

She said they were still close and good friends despite having separated.

One of Mr Pryor’s brothers also gave evidence for the defence. 

Pictured: Mr Quant suggested he had had sex with the woman.

In his interview, Mr Quant said he believed he had had sex with the woman. “A long time ago, I remember there must have been a sexual intercourse of some sort,” he said, adding later on: “I must have [had sex with the alleged victim]. I can’t remember having sex with her. I was drunk.”

However, he later added he didn’t find her attractive and had never “forced myself on her".

Mr Quant suggested Mr Pryor “must have had sex” with the woman. He added: “I cannot remember Ian having sex with her … but I presume this is what happened because she is telling everyone.”

Advocate Adam Harrison, Mr Quant’s lawyer, did not call any witnesses on his behalf.

The jury heard yesterday that Mr Quant had eight previous convictions of rape against a different girl. 

They also heard that the woman accusing Messrs Pryor and Quant had made her first complaint in 2001. The following year, she asked the Police to pause the investigation until she felt able to continue. It wasn't until June 2015 that she contacted a community officer and provided information about the alleged sexual assaults. The case was officially reopened the following month.

The trial continues today with Crown Advocate Hollywood, Advocate Sette and Advocate Harrison addressing the jury in their closing speeches.

Royal Court Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith will then give his directions to the jury of five women and six men before they retire to consider their verdict.