(Image: Newsquest)
A policeman told a jury “absolutely not” when asked if he had sexually assaulted three women after 11 hours drinking in York city centre.
Martin Brough said he had arrived in York at 2pm on November 30, 2024, to have Christmas drinks with old friends from the three armed forces.
By the time he arrived at Popworld with one friend at 1.23am on December 1, he had had 10 beers.
He didn’t know anyone in the club.
He claimed one alleged sexual assault on a woman in Popworld was him pulling her dress and the other two alleged sexual assaults hadn’t happened.
He was giving evidence at York Crown Court on day two of his trial.
Brough, 44, of Morley, denies three charges of sexual assault.
He agreed with prosecution barrister Michael Morley he was affected by the alcohol he had drunk but denied that he had behaved out of character.
He told his barrister Daniel Lee he had a dance with one woman at Popworld, then they had moved apart and when he saw her again, he pulled on her dress from behind to tell her he was there.
He was ashamed he had danced with her because he was married, so shouldn’t have danced with her.
Prosecution barrister Michael Morley alleged CCTV showed the woman being kissed by another man when Brough claims he was trying to get her attention and asked why he hadn’t tapped her on the shoulder instead.
He said the other man would have seen him.
He denied Mr Morley’s suggestion the CCTV showed him putting his hand up her dress.
Brough told his barrister that the CCTV didn’t show him touching any other woman, as alleged by the prosecution.
Mr Lee asked him if he had sexually assaulted anyone that night.
“Absolutely not,” he replied.
He denied Mr Morley’s suggestion he was moving around the dance floor with his hand down so that he could sexually assault women by touching their bottoms.
Refering to the moment a door supervisor told him to leave the club, he told his barrister: “I am always going to do what I am told. I was quite surprised. I walked out with him.”
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Earlier, in evidence read to the jury, the court heard he was repeatedly trying to get back into Popworld and was repeatedly being told he could not.
They also heard that he told door staff: “I’m a copper, it’s not like I am going to misbehave.”
He demanded their SIA numbers and filmed them, holding his phone close to the face of one of the members of door staff.
He was told unless he was investigating an incident at the club, he was not entitled to personal details about the door staff and when they asked him for his collar number and where he was based, he refused to give the details.
When he gave evidence, he denied a prosecution suggestion he had been “throwing his weight about”.
“I wanted to explain I was not the usual drunk, I am a decent guy,” he said, alleging he wanted the door staff to find his friend and tell him he was outside.
In a statement read to the jury, a police officer called to Popworld by door staff said Brough was slurring his words, had glazed eyes and was unsteady on his feet and appeared to be drunk.
After getting his details, the North Yorkshire officer told Brough to leave York and go home.
The trial continues.