Bill Cosby admits he apologised to accuser's mother over alleged assault

Mr Cosby is charged with sexually assaulting a former employee of his alma mater - he denies the charge

Bill Cosby arrives on the fifth day of his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania (REUTERS/Tom Mihalek)

Bill Cosby has admitted to apologising to his accuser's mother over an alleged sexual assault, a Pennsylvania courtroom has heard.

Mr Cosby – the legendary comedian and television star - is on trial this week for allegedly sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, a former employee of his alma mater. Mr Cosby maintains their encounter was consensual, and has pleaded not guilty to aggravated indecent assault.

Ms Constand’s mother testified previously that she had called Mr Cosby to confront him about the incident after her daughter disclosed what had happened.

“I keep harping at him, we kept talking about what had happened,” Gianna Constand recalled of the conversation. “I said the only thing I’d like … from you is an apology.”

According to the elder Ms Constand, she got it. She says Mr Cosby told her, “I apologise to Andrea ... and I apologise to you, mom.”

The jury on Friday heard the comedian’s version of the call, in which he admitted to apologising to Ms Constand’s mother – but only for fear of coming off as a “a dirty old man”.

“I apologised to this woman,” Mr Cosby said, in a deposition read aloud by a detective. “But my apology was, ‘My God, I’m in trouble with these people because this is an old man and their young daughter.”

The deposition in question stems from a 2005 lawsuit that Ms Constand filed after detectives unexpectedly closed her sexual assault case. The deposition was unsealed in 2015, just seven months before detectives reopened the case against Mr Cosby.

Mr Cosby is not expected to testify at the trial, so the deposition is one of the only opportunities the jury will have to hear about the incident in his voice.

Jurors on Thursday heard excerpts from the deposition of in which Mr Cosby recounted his previous encounters with Ms Constand.

Mr Cosby described one instance, in which he admits to sexually touching the plaintiff, as such: “I don’t hear her say anything. And I don’t feel her say anything. And so I continue to go into the area that is somewhere between permission and rejection.”

Asked if he ever request Ms Constand’s permission, Mr Cosby said, “She did not stop me. And I wanted to go.”

The jury also heard from sections of the deposition in which Mr Cosby confessed to giving Ms Constand pills, which he called “friends”. Mr Cosby maintains the pills were Benadryl; the defence has suggested they may have been something stronger.

Mr Cosby said in a previous police interview that he used Benadryl as a sleep aid, and that he becomes drowsy and falls asleep shortly after taking them.

Ms Constand has described herself as “frozen” and seeing double after taking the pills Mr Cosby provided her.

The trial continues.