A MAN accused of raping, sexually abusing and attacking a teenage girl wept in court yesterday as he denied all the charges against him.
And Dean James Plowman said he had “no idea” why the girl had made the claims.
Mr Plowman (44) was giving evidence on the fourth day of his jury trial in the Royal Court.
He is alleged to have raped and assaulted the girl over a three-year period, to have made another child witness a sex act and encouraged that child to take part, and to have committed two grave and criminal assaults against the girl.
He wept as he answered questions from his advocate, James Bell.
Mr Plowman said he had felt “startled” when the police arrested him in January 2023, shortly after the girl had made the claims.
Asked why he had not requested a lawyer during his police interview, he said: “I didn’t think I needed one.”
Advocate Bell asked him: “Is any of what she said true?”
He fought back tears as he said: “No, none of it.”
The advocate asked: “How did the allegations make you feel?”
He replied: “Sick.”
And Advocate Bell asked: “Do you understand why she said these things?”
Mr Plowman replied: “I have no idea.”
He also said: “I have gone through so many emotions over the last two years – I was hurt, upset, angry and resentful.”
Earlier the court heard from three people who had dealt with the girl when she first made the allegations.
A schoolteacher said that the girl had come into her office but did not speak.
The teacher added: “Then she pulled a pregnancy test kit out of her bag and threw it across the desk in my direction. She said: ‘Two lines came up.’ ”
But the teacher did not inspect the pregnancy test and said: “I can’t say if it was used or unused.”
The girl was then referred to the Brooks Advisory Service.
Kathy Arrowsmith, a senior nurse there, said the girl had also remained silent for some minutes before speaking.
“She said she had had sex with a man in his 40s and thought she was pregnant,” Ms Arrowsmith said. “It took a long time for her to come out with it.”
A test there showed she was not pregnant.
Emma Powell, another staff member at the service, told the court that the sex would have been rape.
She said: “I asked her whether she had wanted the sex to happen.
“She said: ‘No.’ ”
The court also heard from forensic medical examiner Dr Deryn Evans. She said an examination of the girl had showed marks that could have been caused by penetration, but were not proof of it.
The trial is expected to conclude today. Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae is presiding.
