Man, 74, is accused of abusing four young girls
AMAN has appeared in court accused of historic sex offences against four girls, a court has heard.
Leslie Wilkins Tucker, 74, formerly of Cloverdale Road, Macclesfield, denies eight counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault against four girls under the age of 16.
On the first day of scheduled four day trial a jury of six men and six women at Chester Crown Court heard that the alleged offences followed a pattern and that they had all taken place in Macclesfield.
Mr Tucker, a retired carpet cleaner who now lives in Stoke-on-Trent, watched proceedings from the dock with the aid of a hearing aid and carried an oxygen tank which was connected to his nose by tubes to aid his breathing.
Prosecuting, Myles Wilson, said: “It was a series of offences which followed a particular pattern. He was sexually attracted to pre pubescent girls with a predilection for touching them sexually.”
The court was shown video footage of one of the complainants being interviewed by police.
She claimed she had been abused by Tucker.
She said: “I didn’t know what to do. I was scared and upset and it was always in my head.
“He told me if I told anyone he would get someone to come round and hurt me.”
The same complainant was then cross examined by defence barrister Anis Ali.
She was shielded from seeing the accused by screens. She said: “I wish I’d said something sooner. I now feel protected now I’ve got it out in the open. The only way to get rid of it is to vent it out.”
Mr Ali told the court that the complainant continued to contact Mr Tucker after making the police complaint and had hinted that she would retract her statement if given £250, which the accused subsequently gave her.
The witness said that she had done that and was trying to manipulate the situation to her advantage but had no intention of withdrawing her allegations.
PROCEEDING
‘I now feel protected now I’ve got it out in the open. ’