TV host John Leslie ‘put his hand down woman’s trousers on her hen night’

FORMER TV presenter John Leslie put his hand down a woman’s trousers as they danced at her hen night, a court heard yesterday.

The female, who can not be identified for legal reasons, said the incident in Edinburgh last June had made what should have been her happiest year “one of the toughest”.

The 53-year-old is alleged to have put his hand under the woman’s clothing and touched her bare bottom.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that she recognised Leslie when she entered the Atik nightclub, particularly from the BBC children’s programme Blue Peter, which Leslie presented for five years from 1989.

Leslie, appearing under his real name John Stott, denied sexual assault.

Uncomfortable

The woman told the hearing that she had spoken to Leslie earlier on about football and his ex-girlfriends before dancing with her friends and a stag party.

She said he then approached her and said: “Be careful, you’re getting married”.

The woman said she thought Leslie was being “protective” and suggested they dance together.

The Scottish former television and radio presenter had a hand on her waist and she had a hand on his shoulder, the court heard.

The woman said: “Then he pulled me closer. I did feel uncomfortable but thought I was maybe reading too much into it.”

She said she gave her friend “a look” to make her aware she was uncomfortable, adding: “After that, I Leslie arrives at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday, left, where he denied sexually assaulting while dancing with a woman on her hen night at Atik nightclub in the city, right felt his hand go down my trousers at the back.

“I didn’t know how to react. I made even more of a look to my friend because I knew I needed to be out of that situation.”

She said Leslie touched her skin but was not sure if he had put his hand beneath her underwear.

Once a friend had pulled her away, the woman told the court that she danced briefly with her hen party to “pretend it hadn’t happened”.

She added: “But then I got really upset so moved to the booth. I asked my friend something like, ‘Why did he think he could do that or what did I do to make him do that?’”

The woman went outside with a friend and her future sister-in-law who said they should tell someone, the court heard.

They told a female bouncer and later a police officer at the nightclub who took her to a station to make a statement.

CCTV of the pair dancing in the busy club was played to the court and the woman said it could not be seen exactly when the alleged incident happened.

Asked by prosecuting lawyer Fiona Nairn how she feels, the woman said that it had an impact on her relationship with her husband, friends and work.

She said: “It’s been one of the toughest years of my life when it should have been the happiest.”

Defence lawyer Derek Ogg QC reviewed the CCTV with the woman and said: “We don’t see a hand going under a tutu or trousers or coming out of trousers.”

The trial continues.