Child hid from police officer accused of rape and assault, trial told

Martyn Coulter, 36, denies all charges against him.

The trial is taking place at the High Court in Edinburgh (PA) (PA Archive)

A child had to hide in a cupboard for an hour during the violent outburst of a police officer accused of raping a woman and another youngster, a court has heard.

Martyn Coulter, 36, is on trial at the High Court in Edinburgh accused of raping a woman and assaulting her three times between June 2013 and November 2014 at addresses in East Lothian and Edinburgh, and is also accused of being threatening towards her.

He is further charged with raping, sexually assaulting and threatening a girl aged under 13.

He denies all the charges.

The court on Wednesday heard pre-recorded evidence from a child, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

She told the court how she had to hide in a cupboard “for an hour” due to Coulter’s alleged behaviour in or around October 2014.

The court also heard how Coulter would regularly hit the child and get “really angry”.

She also told the court how she heard Coulter throw another child against a radiator close to the same period of time, so hard it left a permanent dent in the back of her head. She said she also heard him hitting a woman’s head off of a “marble kitchen counter”.

Coulter has lodged a special defence, stating that between September 6 and September 21, 2013 he was in England on a military police training course.

But the specific date the alleged events are said to have taken place have not been confirmed, with various witnesses saying they could not remember.

On Tuesday, the woman who has accused Coulter of raping and assaulting her told the court he smashed her head off of a cabinet.

Asked by advocate depute Kath Harper why she did not involve the authorities during this time, the witness said Coulter told her nobody would believe her because he was a police officer.

On Monday she said the officer raped her.

The trial before Lady Drummond continues.