AN ALLEGED victim of indecent assault told a jury how she felt compelled to speak out.
David Gardner, 79, of Newberry Road, Weymouth, is standing trial at Dorchester Crown Court where he denies four counts of indecency with a child and three counts of indecent assault against a child.
Separate allegations have been made from a man and woman, who can’t be named for legal reasons.
The incidents are alleged to have taken place in the 1980s across a six-year period at Gardner’s former shop in High West Street, Weymouth.
The alleged female victim is claiming Gardner indecently assaulted her on multiple occasions at the shop. She would have been between 10 and 14-years-old at the time. The woman came forward to the police in 2002. She told the court yesterday the idea of speaking out was like a revelation.
She said: “I realised that actually I need to do something. It could still be happening to other people.”
The alleged victim told the court she would be at his shop most Sundays.
She said: “It was somewhere as a child I could go. I could get sweets. I could hang around with other people.”
She alleged how she would be inappropriately touched by Gardner when left alone together in the shop.
She said: “From what I remember, the long lasting memory is how much it hurt.”
When asked why she would continue to return to the shop after these alleged incidents took place, the woman said: “I can only think that it was because life was difficult at home.”
The alleged female victim is expected to be cross-examined by the defence today when the trial continues.
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