Plaid councillor ‘attacked women’
One assaulted with electric massager, court told:
A PLAID Cymru councillor “put his hands all over a woman” during a general election campaign before “touching another woman with a body massager”, a court heard.
Rhondda Cynon Taf councillor William Haydn Rees Jones, 67, denies two counts of sexual assault against two different women.
Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard that the Treherbert councillor “put his hands all over a woman” in the first alleged attack, which took place in March 2015.
Prosecutor Roger Griffiths told the court the first alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was at a shop Plaid Cymru was renting in Station Road in Treorchy as a party base ahead of the 2015 general election.
Jones was a party member and activist at the time.
The court heard Jones approached his alleged victim and “without warning picked her up and placed her over his shoulders”.
Mr Griffiths told the court: “He then carried her to the back room, shutting the door behind him.
“She became concerned.
“He put her down and his hands then went everywhere.”
Jones was leaning across the door, the court heard, not letting his alleged victim out.
The woman told the court she repeatedly yelled “no” but Jones ignored her and continued to touch her body.
Mr Griffiths said: “He continued to touch her all over then forced his tongue down her throat and continued to say ‘come on.’”
Jones eventually moved away from the door and both returned to the front of the shop.
The woman told the court Jones wouldn’t stop despite her asking.
“His hands were everywhere,” she told the court.
“I was quite frantic. They were all over me.
“I kept saying no but he kept saying ‘come on.’ “He wasn’t stopping.” During a police interview Jones said the incident was a “misunderstanding” and he thought the woman had been “encouraging” him.
The second charge dates back to an alleged incident in January this year where Jones was accused of using a body massager to touch a woman at his home in Treherbert.
The court heard he had met the woman, who cannot be identified, while out canvassing for votes for his successful election to Rhondda Cynon Taf council in May 2017.
Mr Griffiths said: “Inside a navy rucksack Mr Jones pulled out a body massager.
“The defendant told her to turn around to show how it worked. He then used the device on her buttock and moved it back and forth.
“He then used the massager on her breasts.
“It was then moved to the groin area.
“He used the massager with so much force it forced her legs to move apart.”
“She told Jones: ‘I’m a married woman.’ Jones replied: ‘Your husband doesn’t have to know.’”
Mr Griffiths said the woman fled after Jones’ elderly mother, who was elsewhere in the property, shouted to her son about needing the bathroom.
The alleged victim managed to leave the house before later being sick, the court heard.
When questioned by police Jones said the incident at his home happened after the woman asked how his electric massage device worked but he denied anything sexual took place.
Jones, from Eileen Place, Treherbert, denies two counts of sexual assault.
The trial continues.