I’VE MADE A COMPLETE MESS OF EVERYTHING MP breaks down as he denies groping aide

HANGING BY A THREAD: Charlie Elphicke and his wife Natalie

A MARRIED former Tory MP accused of groping a woman in Westminster told a court he was “besotted” with her and wanted to start an affair, but denies he sexually assaulted her.

Charlie Elphicke, who was MP for Dover from 2010 to 2019, said he wanted to “have a sexual relationship – an affair” with the woman, who worked in Parliament and was more than 20 years younger than him.

The 49-year-old said he invited the woman for a drink and told her he liked her, thinking their feelings were “a two-way street”.

Elphicke denies three counts of sexual assault, one involving a woman in her 30s at his London home in 2007, and two involving the parliamentary worker in her early 20s on two occasions in 2016.

Giving evidence to Southwark Crown Court he said he invited the parliamentary worker for a drink in Westminster in April 2016 and ended up staying for two hours.

Defending, Ian Winter QC, asked: “How did you feel about her?”

Elphicke said: “Besotted. I thought she was amazing.

“I hadn’t felt like this in years. I thought it was a two-way street and she felt the same about me as I did about her.”

Elphicke denied sexually assaulting her, and said he would have only touched her in the “normal social form of touching”.

Asked if there was any truth in the allegation that he tried to kiss the woman and grope her breast, Elphicke replied: “No.”

In March his wife Natalie Elphicke, a solicitor, was poring over the case files when she saw texts to the parliamentary worker, whom Elphicke admitted having propositioned.

Elphicke broke down in court as he described the status of his marriage, telling jurors: “It hangs by a thread. I’ve got a lot of work to do… she’s most upset. I’ve made a complete mess of everything.”

The case continues.