Jurors told to ignore Westminster sex scandal

Jurors trying a Conservative MP’S aide for the alleged rape of a woman have been told to put anything they may have heard about a culture of sexual harassment at Westminster out of their minds.

Samuel Armstrong, 24, is standing trial over an alleged attack at the Palace of Westminster last year.

He denies two counts of rape, one of sexual assault and one of assault by penetration against the same woman on Oct 14 2016. Mr Armstrong, from Danbury in Essex, who was chief of staff to Craig Mackinlay, the South Thanet MP, at the time, will re-appear at Southwark Crown Court today as the prosecution opens its case.