MP takes to the witness stand to deny all charges

This, the 13th day of this trial, was the day when Nigel Evans MP got the chance to start giving evidence in his own defence.

He confirmed to the court that he had no previous convictions; had never been arrested, and never even been in a police station as a suspect on anything.

His QC Peter Wright asked him if he had ever sexually assaulted anyone in terms of the allegations set out in this case.

“No, Mr Wright,” the MP replied.

“Have you raped anyone?” Evans was then asked.  “No, Mr Wright,” he replied firmly a second time.

But Nigel Evans did admit that he’d had sexual intercourse in the bedroom of his constituency home here in Lancashire with a 22-year old man who has accused him in court of raping him.

But Evans said the intercourse was “absolutely with consent”.

Evans was also asked about charges of indecent of sexual assault and attempted sexual assault involving six other men.  In five of the cases, Evans said he had no recollection of the incidents, or denied that they had occurred.

A sixth charge involved an allegation of sexual assault at his constituency home.  Mr Evans admitted he had touched the alleged victim.  He explained that he’d got under a duvet or blanket on his sitting room sofa with the man, put his arm round him.

They had laid together for a while, Evans said, “with his hand holding mine.”

But he added: “When my hand moved down, he slowly brushed it away.”

Mr Evans said that when he tried to move his hand down again a few minutes later, the young man had, in Evans words, “exploded”, said “No”, and pushed him off the sofa.

Q: And Mr Evans discussed his sexuality?

A: Indeed, he said he had struggled with it for many years, until coming out as gay at the end of 2010.  He explained that his mother had died the year before – five years ago today, in fact – but that when she was in her 80s there was “no right time” to tell her.  “I just didn’t want to upset her,” he said.

But now, he thought, “she would have taken it rather well,” he said, and was sorry he hadn’t told her.

Mr Evans, who denies all the charges, is due to continue giving evidence here on Monday when he’ll be asked about them in more detail.

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