Alleged girl victim described PR guru as ‘pervert’, abuse trial told

One of PR guru Max Clifford’s alleged victims described him as a “pervert”, a court heard.
PR guru Max Clifford arrives at Southwark Crown Court, LondonPR guru Max Clifford arrives at Southwark Crown Court, London
PR guru Max Clifford arrives at Southwark Crown Court, London

A friend and former colleague of the woman recalled how Clifford came up in conversation about six years ago. The woman told the jury that the alleged victim described how he indecently assaulted her when she was 14 after they met at a Wimpy burger bar in south-west London.

It is claimed the incident took place in Morden in 1966, when Clifford was in his early 20s.

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The alleged victim’s friend told Southwark Crown Court that Clifford appeared on television and another colleague commented that he was “such a lovely man”.

“Her words to me were ‘he’s not that bloody lovely, he’s not that nice, he’s a bloody pervert’.”

Her friend said that she went on to give her “a brief description of an incident” where Clifford “tried it on” and “started touching” her.

Yesterday the alleged victim told the court that Clifford drove her to an alleyway “and then he tried to force himself” on her before she escaped.

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Her friend recalled that she said to her: “Well it just shows that these people aren’t whiter than white. Her words were ‘he’s just a dirty old bastard’.”

The court also heard from the alleged victim’s daughter, who described hearing the defendant come up in conversation. She told jurors she was 12 or 13 at the time, and the discussion was “probably about 18 years ago”.

The woman said her mother said the incident began in Clifford’s car.

“She did say that she started to feel concerned because she knew she wasn’t going in the direction of her house,” the daughter said. “She said that she was obviously sitting in the passenger seat and she said he made an advance towards her and sort of was trying to force himself on top of her.”

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The witness told the court that her mother had mentioned Clifford several times since then. “She would say ‘well there’s some skeletons in his closet’.”

Clifford, 70, from Hersham in Surrey, is accused of a total of 11 counts of indecent assault against seven women and girls.

The trial continues.