Harpist who played for the Queen ‘slept with schoolboy before partner abused him’
A HARPIST who has played for the Queen encouraged a 14-yearold boy to have a ‘threesome’ with her and her church warden fiancé, a court heard yesterday.
Danielle Perrett, 59, who has also performed for several prime ministers, allegedly entered a room where the boy was sleeping and slipped into bed.
They had sex, prosecutors claim, before being joined by Perrett’s then boyfriend, Richard Barton-Wood, 68, who is said to have indecently assaulted the schoolboy.
The defendants are accused of 16 sex offences involving their alleged victim over six months in 1984, when Perrett was around 26 and Barton-Wood 35.
Many occurred in the London flat where Perrett lived at the time, the jury at Ipswich Crown Court was told.
But Barton-Wood also allegedly sexually abused the boy at other locations, including on camping trips, in a boat he owned and at a house in Suffolk. Describing the first time they allegedly had intercourse, prosecutor William Carter said: ‘She got undressed and cuddled up to him... they had sex. He recalls she smelled of roses.
‘He said he was attracted to her and the sex was nice as well.
‘Afterwards, Richard Barton-Wood came into the room. He got into bed so [the alleged victim] was between them.’
Barton-Wood indecently assaulted the schoolboy, who ‘turned on to his side to avoid it’, the court heard.
Mr Carter said the boy went for a shower in the morning and was joined by Perrett who performed a sex act on him.
The prosecutor added: ‘[The victim] describes her as kind and gentle. Young as he was, it seems he fell in love with her.
‘He was obviously too young to consent to what was happening and Perrett should have recognised that. It amounts to sexual abuse of that young boy.’
Barton-Wood met the teenager, who is now in his late forties and cannot be named for legal reasons, in early 1984 when the boy was a pupil at a school where he was working. He later introduced the boy to Perrett at a recital in a London hotel, the jury was told.
Mr Carter said: ‘He remembers being taken to a hotel where they sat at a table watching Danielle Perrett play the harp.’
The trio then went to Perrett’s flat, where the boy was given her bed to sleep in. He claims it was on that occasion that he ended up in bed with both of them.
Perrett, who has also played at Prince Philip’s 70th birthday and at the Palace of Versailles near Paris, slept with the boy several times, the court was told.
The prosecution claims Barton-Wood gave his victim money, bought him cigarettes and alcohol, and sometimes smoked abused Wood youngster’s his where to The ‘The approaches, prevent last he final allegedly cannabis was had time occasion attempts tied when them jurors the ignored with his boy Barton- was trousers to heard. him. being avoid was one the removed Barton-Wood them The down,’ matter and Mr came trying woke Carter to to to said. light find pull last made year after a formal the alleged complaint victim to police and were Perrett arrested. and Barton-Wood Perrett – who claims the only sexual contact was when the boy pushed her against a wall and rubbed himself against her – allegedly told police: ‘It’s to do with that nasty man who came accuser The allegations.’ here in jury contacted 2001 making was asking told them these them their separately horrible why they claim had they abused believed him. they Both were being blackmailed and Barton-Wood said there were ‘ subsequent phone calls’ where money was demanded. Mr Carter said: ‘What’s going to be fundamental to this case is did any of this happen or is it a complete fabrication?’ Perrett, who has a partner and lives in Alpheton, Suffolk, denies eight counts of sexual assault. Barton-Wood, who is married and lives in Wymondham, Norfolk, denies six indecent assaults, attempted indecent assault and attempted buggery. The trial continues.
‘He recalls she smelled of roses’