Travis 'was a sexual opportunist'

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 05 September 2014 | 19.21

5 September 2014 Last updated at 12:59

Dave Lee Travis was an opportunist who groped vulnerable women and those who were alone, a jury has heard.

The former Radio 1 DJ is being retried on two counts - one of indecent assault and one of sexual assault - and faces a further charge of indecent assault.

Miranda Moore QC began outlining the prosecution case against the 69-year-old at Southwark Crown Court, saying Mr Travis "seemed to act as if he had a perfect right" to grope women.

Mr Travis denies the charges.

In a trial earlier this year, a jury was unable to reach a verdict on the first two charges, which are said to have taken place in 1991 and 2008 respectively.

The third charge relates to an indecent assault alleged to have taken place in January 1995.

The prosecutor said: "The offences that you are going to consider vary in seriousness. They involved unwanted physical contact over and under clothing.

'Upset and shocked'

"We say ... he has a propensity towards laying his hands in a sexual manner on young women who are alone with him or in vulnerable positions.

"He is an opportunist."

Ms Moore added: "The defendant, according to these ladies, simply seemed to act as if he had a perfect right to touch their breasts or put his hands in their clothing to grope them."

She said the women felt "upset, embarrassed, shocked" and unsure what to do because Travis was a celebrity.

In court: Ben Geoghegan, BBC News

Dave Lee Travis sits close to the centre of the dock of courtroom No.1. The dock officer is behind him and to the left some distance away. The former DJ sometimes wears headphones so that he can hear what's being said in this, the second trial he's faced this year.

Dressed in a blue blazer and wearing a red-patterned tie, Mr Travis pushes himself into his chair so that he is almost leaning backwards. Before the prosecuting QC begins her opening speech, the judge warns the jury that Mr Griffin (Mr Travis's real name) may, from time to time, get up and walk around.

The judge has given him permission to do that. It helps with his bad back.

The alleged victim of the third count was the first to give evidence.

Mr Travis groped her breasts in her kitchen after she interviewed him, she told the court.

He touched her for several seconds and then acted like nothing had happened, she added.

But she did not tell police about the incident as she did not want to jeopardise her job, she said.

The woman, who gave evidence from behind a curtain, said she might have gone to the police if it had been "more serious".

'Telling the truth'

Travis's barrister Stephen Vullo QC asked the woman if she had exaggerated her claims.

"I have absolutely not exaggerated, I am only telling the truth," she replied.

The first charge relates to a woman who claims the DJ assaulted her when they were both working on a production of Aladdin.

The second relates to an alleged assault by Travis on a young woman working on the Mrs Merton Show.

The prosecutor also outlined claims from two other women - to which charges are not related.

One woman claimed she was assaulted by Travis as she served him drinks at a venue on the Isle of Man.

Another woman, also a journalist, claims that Travis assaulted her while she was at his house to interview him.

'Charges unresolved'

A jury of six men and six women was sworn in for the retrial on Tuesday.

Trial judge Anthony Leonard QC told them: "The defendant who you are to try is called David Griffin but is better known by the name Dave Lee Travis or by the initials DLT.

"It is likely that many of you will remember that at the start of this year he was tried on a number of allegations of a similar nature.

"He was acquitted on all but two of the charges which remain unresolved. These form two of the three charges that you will be asked to consider.

"Ordinarily a jury is not told that a defendant has already faced a trial because it is not relevant to your considerations.

"But because it is likely that a number of you will remember the fact that he was tried earlier this year, it is sensible to tell you so."


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