Gary Glitter offers no evidence in sex trial

THE POP star Gary Glitter yesterday chose not to give evidence in his own defence at the trial into allegations he subjected a "besotted" underage fan to a series of sexual assaults in the early Eighties.

Bristol Crown Court was told the glam rock star would not be taking to the witness box and no evidence would be presented in his defence.

The singer, 55, is charged under his real name, Paul Francis Gadd, with four counts of indecently assaulting a girl over a two-year period when she was under 16. He also faces four charges of serious sexual assault against the same girl. All the offences are alleged to have taken place between March 1980 and June 1982.

Mr Gadd denies all charges.

Mr Justice Butterfield toldthe jury of eight men and four women that he expected them to retire this morning to consider their verdict.

John Royce QC, for the prosecution, told the court none of the evidence given yesterday by the alleged victim, now aged 34, had been contradicted at all by Mr Gadd during the trial.

He said: "At the end of her evidence, you must remember her turning to the defendant in tears and saying to him `Tell them, please tell them'. That is one thing that he's not done."

Mr Royce dismissed defence suggestions that the woman was motivated by a contract she had signed with the News of the World which means she will be paid pounds 25,000 if Mr Gadd is convicted. He said: "Was she someone who deliberately and maliciously made up an account simply for the money? Or did you see before you a woman who was bearing perhaps the mental scars, and perhaps the hurt of the relationship she had with the defendant?"

Mr Royce warned the jury not to fall into the trap of "saying she's entered into this contract with newspapers and we cannot rely on her evidence".

He reminded the jury the woman said she was prompted to speak out after Mr Gadd's arrest at a computer store in Bristol over allegations of possession of child pornography.

Mr Royce told the jury: "It started when she was still 14.

"Then she was a somewhat naive girl sexually but besotted with this 35- year-old.

"She would have done anything for him, wouldn't she? And indeed she did."

In his closing speech, Trevor Burke, for the defence, said the woman had "ample opportunity to complain to the police" but she did not until Mr Gadd became "hot news" after his arrest in November 1997. "This is a woman giving a performance for which she will be paid pounds 25,000," he said.

Defending Mr Gadd's refusal to give evidence in court, Mr Burke said: "He has chosen to remain silent; it is his absolute right. He is perfectly entitled to say `you prove my guilt if you can'."

He added: "Conscientious witnesses do not expect to seek or solicit payment for giving evidence to a jury.

"Honest witnesses do not approach agents to negotiate a price to co-operate or contact the police ... Honest witnesses do not wait 20 years to complain about a crime."

Earlier, Mr Burke told the judge he was not calling Mr Gadd to the witness box.

Mr Justice Butterfield said: "Have you advised him the stage has now been reached that he may give evidence if he chooses to do so?"

Mr Burke said that he had.

The judge then said the jury could draw whatever inference they wanted from this.

The case continues today.