Martial arts teacher accused of groping girl, 14, in kitchen

A martial arts teacher put his hands up the T-shirt of a young kickboxer and touched her breasts, a jury was told yesterday.

The Fife schoolgirl, who was 14 at the time of the alleged assault, claimed Gary Goodrum initially touched her over her clothing before one of his “Little Ninja” martial arts classes.

Giving evidence from behind a screen she said she had been “playfighting” with Goodrum in a community annexe at Inverkeithing High School when events took a more sinister turn.

She said: “He managed to trip me up and put me on the ground then he put his hand on the top area of my chest.

“I didn’t think anything of it at first.

“I just thought it was a mistake so I didn’t take notice of it.”

On a second occasion, however, she claimed Goodrum deliberately groped her after backing her against a wall in Inverkeithing in May 2016.

The High Court in Livingston heard Goodrum, 38, had asked her and another female kickboxing student to go into the kitchen of the Ballast Bank Community Centre for a chat before a class. She said: “He spoke to us then told the other girl to go away.

“He just walked towards me and I ended up walking back the way, up against a wall.

“Then he backed me up into the corner and put his hand under my top and touched my breasts.”

Under questioning she said there had been “skin on skin contact” with Goodrum touching her under her bra.

She added: “I said,‘stop’ and he said, ‘don’t tell anyone, this will be our little secret’.”

Goodrum, of Corsiehill, Perth, is charged with seven counts of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards underage girls between April 1998 and March 2009.

He is also accused of indecently assaulting a 15-year-old girl between 1999 and 2000 and sexually assaulting another teenager between May and October 2016.

The Crown alleges the offences were committed in vehicles and at addresses in Fife, including Gary Lee Martial Arts Academy classes run by the accused in Dalgety Bay and Inverkeithing.

Goodrum denies all the charges and the trial continues.