A JURY will retire today to consider its verdict in the trial of a 78-year-old Weymouth man accused of sexually abusing a child almost 30 years ago.

Aubray Arthur Pegg, aged 78, of Canterbury Close, is accused of multiple counts of indecent assault and two counts of indecency with a child.

Pegg is on trial at Dorchester Crown Court and denies all seven counts, which relate to the same victim.

The alleged offences span a period between January 22, 1986, and January 22, 1990, when the defendant was mid 40s to early 50s and the alleged victim was aged between six and eight.

Closing speeches were given yesterday and recorder Stephen Climie started to sum up the case.

Prosecuting, Heather Shimmen said: “Mr Pegg agrees with much of what the alleged victim is saying – to the fundamentals of his account.”

She added that the Pegg ‘could not accept’ the claims of ‘sexual abuse’.

Miss Shimmen added: “Mr Pegg said himself that he could not think of a reason why the alleged victim would make up the allegations.

“Why would the alleged victim put himself through all of this for a false allegation?”

In her closing speech, defending Mary Aspinall-Miles urged the jury to find Pegg ‘not guilty’ due to the evidence not being ‘beyond reasonable doubt’.

She raised discrepanices with the alleged victim’s memory involving dates and times.

She added that there was ‘no evidence’ and ‘no DNA’.

The trial continues today.