Rolf Harris Trial: The Plot Thickens

[ChillDoubt]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27541102

Curiouser and curiouser.

This follows the news last week that one witness waived her right to anonimity. Apparently she had to do so because she had already sold her story Down Under.

[Credulo]

If this was her only way to get over her trauma then why not? What all these men did is appalling, imagine living with it for all these years.

[berniecuddles]

but will the money make her feel better?

[ChillDoubt]

You need to put an 'allegedly' in there somewhere Credulo, particularly in light of the info from the link.

[ChillDoubt]

From the link:

Television interview

Another alleged victim, Tonya Lee, who has waived her right to anonymity, was interviewed by British police in Australia.

Det Sgt Pankhurst said they spoke to her separately from her boyfriend Fian McDaid because he was "controlling".

The officer said: "He was very suspicious of us and appeared to want to manage the whole situation."

Jurors heard that Ms Lee gave a magazine and a television interview in Australian in return for a fee.

Mr Harris told police in a statement: "I'm afraid that her actions do suggest that she may be motivated by a desire for fame and financial reward."

The court was told that Mr McDaid, who served a jail term for assaulting Ms Lee, claimed she had invented the allegations against Mr Harris.

[whiskeryron]

If she has already gained moneywise from selling her ( supposedly ) story to a newspaper she should be barred from this trial.

[ChillDoubt]

Letter drops

Sonia Woodley QC, defending, put it to senior investigating officer Det Sgt Gary Pankhurst: "There is no independent evidence of any kind to put Mr Harris in Cambridge in the year of 1975."

Det Sgt Pankhurst said that the alleged victim had not been entirely sure of the date, but "1975 was clearly she felt the most certain".

Another woman claimed Mr Harris touched her intimately when she was seven or eight after she queued to get his autograph at a community centre near Portsmouth in 1969.

No confirmation could be found that Mr Harris had been there, despite searches of local newspaper archives, council records and letter drops appealing for witnesses.


Did the CPS actually realise any of this???

[Peter Pedant]

nichty nochty that curious....

she had flogged her story and that was the subject of cross examination.
I think she was the witness that was faced with a conscious inconsistency and was asked by the defence QC - " and so that was a bare faced lie, wasnt it ? " and the witness said 'yes'

she was out by a month on date, but remembered everything as if it were uyesterday. The jury will have to sort that one out

the judges have no difficulty in ordering anonymity when the foreign press are talking and naming....but in this case it would be difficult to support an application.

Some people look on accounts of witnesses' oral testimony as the unvarnished Gospel truth - I have my doubts
and some witnesses of course lie - altho I would NEVA do that as I am too frightened of doing time for perjury

Last time I looked about half the claims against Jimmy S had not been progressed because of 'inconsistencies'


In the case I was involved in - the judge said - one of the people you have heard under oath was blatantly lying and you have to decide who.
They took eight minutes to acquit

[RandyMarsh]

Is this the same girl as in the letter? the letter that Rolf wrote.

[Peter Pedant]

Oh, the Portsmouth girl who thinks Harris assaulted her when he was elsewhere, may truly believe and recollect that he did, - 'I remember it was tho it were yesterday - I was wearing a pink dress and clutching ted my teddy bear all the time it was going on'.

even tho the defence may conclusively show he was banging a banyan, up country at a sheep station, and on video, surrounded by other cobbers and no kids in pinnk dresses in sight.

The jury has to decide which is true...

a lot of the time they get it right.

Remember this is not Pistorius-tv - we are not getting every last word that is being said.

[pixie373]

Where did he prove he was, pp? I thought there was nothing to show where he was yet?

[Peter Pedant]

Px I was surprised the police called her a credible witness knowing that a trawl of all the local papers was negative....
and the only record of his visit there was .... her memory.
BUT
they may be relying on readers - oh yeah, I was there too....look here is a photo ... of ted

[Peter Pedant]

Px we are still on the prosecution evidence arent we ?

The news items are three minutes sum up of four or six hours of testimony.

[pixie373]

Yes, pp, but not proving he was there, doesn't actually prove he wasn't (if that makes sense)

[Peter Pedant]

Px yes or no

but that doesnt matter - the Crown has to prove its case.

In other words he doesnt HAVE to disprove her memory [but it certainly would help.]

[pixie373]

Yes- helps if he has an alibi, certainly. Must be difficult after all this time.

[naomi24]

I’m usually dubious about these historical allegations - I think there are a lot of spiteful people out there after either a bit of money or their proverbial 15 minutes of fame - but in his case there was some mention of unsavoury drawings of children he’d allegedly done recently which makes me very uncomfortable with this case. Has any more been said on that?

[ladybirder]

Haven't heard about that Naomi. Where did you see/hear it?

[Peter Pedant]

no we havent had any drawings ( that have been reported in the press)

[naomi24]

I heard it when he was first arrested. I'll see if I can find anything about it. Be back if I can.