Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Ulrika rape claim made Leslie ‘a Metoo target’
TV host was known for being a ‘sex pest’, says his barrister
THE woman allegedly groped by exkids’ TV host John Leslie has denied reporting it because he was “notorious” after being wrongly linked to a rape claim made by Ulrika Jonsson.
At his trial, the woman claimed former Blue Peter presenter Leslie, 55, let out a “hearty laugh” while grabbing both her breasts so hard it hurt when they met at a party in 2008.
She said: “It was a really s o l i d g r a b o f my breasts. It wasn’t a tap or a brush.”
Defence barrister barrist Gudrun Young said the only o thing Leslie was known kno for by that time was sex assault allegations. Ms Young said the woman had accused Leslie as he was “notorious” as a “sex pest”.
S h e sai d: “He
was public enemy No1.” The woman replied: “I disagree, I didn’t think that.”
Ms Young referred to a “massive scandal” in 2002 when Leslie was linked to a rape claim made by his former girlfriend TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson in her autobiography.
Ms Young said: “It was front page news. Although she hadn’t named him or reported it to the police, Mr Leslie came to be associated with it, completely wrongly.” A “raft of allegations” were then made. She asked the complainant: “Women coming forward, left right and centre. Do you recall that?” She replied: “Not really. I remember Ulrika, but I don’t really know about other things.”
The complainant had gone to police in 2017 “at the height of ” Metoo. Ms Young asked: “Did you want to have a story to tell as well about a celebrity?” She said her allegation was “just factual”. Leslie denies sexual assault. The trial at Southwark crown court continues.