Gary Glitter ‘tried to rape schoolgirl in her bed’

The youngster only avoided being raped because she fell into a protective “cocoon” of sheets and blankets, before fleeing when the drunken pop star fell asleep, jurors were told.

John Price QC, opening the case for the prosecution at Southwark Crown Court, said that Glitter - real name Paul Gadd - had tried to force himself on the girl in the mid-1970s.

He added: “She only managed to prevent him from succeeding by moving away from him in the bed until she had moved so far, they she remembers she fell into the ‘envelope’ or ‘cocoon’ formed at the edge of the bed by the fact that the covers and blankets had been tucked beneath the mattress.”

The woman, who was aged under 10 at the time and cannot be identified for legal reasons, claims that after the attack Glitter fell asleep.

She then ran into a bathroom to try and clean herself, the court heard.

It is alleged that the day after the attack, Glitter acted as if nothing had happened and gave the girl chocolate.

Mr Price said: “The next day Mr Gadd behaved entirely as normal. Nothing was said (to her) about what had happened.”

Dressed in a navy suit jacket, grey and dark blue striped jumper and wearing a cream and black patterned scarf, the aurally impaired singer followed proceedings with the help of lip-reading interpreters.

Glitter, from Marylebone in central London, denies seven counts of indecent assault, one count of attempted rape, and two other sexual offences.