Volunteer Met Police knew rape victim was young, court told
Prosecutor Richard Milne explained to the court on Monday that the defendant and the alleged victims would be referred to by their biological sex throughout the trial when discussing the allegations.In a police interview played to the court on Tuesday, the alleged victim told officers she was "frozen" when the defendant attempted to engage in sexual activity with her in public shortly before her 13th birthday.She told officers although she had pretended to be five years older, a number of incidents would have made the defendant aware she was under the age of consent.The court heard how the pair had met in person at a Christian festival where Mr Bubb was working as a volunteer steward and she was wearing a colour-coded child's wristband, which was clearly on show.The alleged victim said that when they met alone: "He was really paranoid, looking around constantly."She added: "We were in a relationship in my eyes but I was being hidden whenever we were in public."I was actually so young at that point that I had a teddy bear in my tent. He knew at the time that I was very much interested in things like teddies."
When he spoke of entering her tent she told him she was uncomfortable, she told officers.She recalled: "I believe he sent me a text on Snapchat at that point and he said he was probably going to come into my tent either way - maybe while I was sleeping."I remember being scared that night."She went on to speak about how Mr Bubb was violent during sex and had put his hands around her throat when they first had sex.At other times, he would punch her or speak of raping her, the court heard.
The defendant has denied one count of rape in relation to one complainant and two counts of rape, two counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, one count of rape of a child under 13 and one count of assault by penetration in relation to the other complainant.All the alleged offences are said to have taken place between 1 January 2018 and 2 April 2024.The trial continues.
Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
5 minutes ago
- The Independent
Tulip Siddiq's anti-corruption trial formally begins in Bangladesh
Tulip Siddiq 's trial formally began in Bangladesh on Wednesday with testimonies of anti-corruption officials against the former British minister. The Labour Party member is facing charges for allegedly using her familial connection to the ousted prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to obtain state-owned land plots in the South Asian country. Ms Siddiq, who is Hasina's niece, resigned from her post as an anti-corruption minister in Keir Starmer 's government in January following reports that she lived in London properties linked to her aunt and was named in an anti-corruption investigation in Bangladesh. She said she had been cleared of wrongdoing but that the issue was becoming 'a distraction from the work of the government'. Ms Siddiq told The Guardian over the weekend that she was 'collateral damage' in the feud between her aunt and Muhammad Yunus – the Nobel laureate appointed as the leader of Bangladesh in the absence of an elected prime minister. 'These are wider forces that I'm battling against … There's no doubt people have done wrong things in Bangladesh, and they should be punished for it. It's just I'm not one of them.' The trial at the Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 began with testimonies by two officials of the country's Anti-Corruption Commission. A third official is expected to testify later in the day, said Muhammad Tariqul Islam, a public prosecutor. Ms Siddiq is being tried together with her mother, Sheikh Rehana, brother, Radwan Mujib, and sister, Azmina. She has been charged with facilitating their receipt of state land in a township project near the capital, Dhaka. The four were indicted earlier and asked to appear in court, however, the prosecution said they absconded and would be tried in absentia. The Bangladesh court had issued an arrest warrant for Ms Siddiq in April. She was indicted in July. Her lawyers had previously called the charges baseless and politically motivated. Separately, the anti-corruption investigation has also alleged that Siddiq's family was involved in brokering a 2013 deal with Russia for a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh in which large sums of money were said to have been embezzled. Siddiq represents the north London district of Hampstead and Highgate in parliament, served in the Labour Party government as economic secretary to the Treasury – the minister responsible for tackling financial corruption. Ms Hasina was ousted after a 15-year rule in a student-led mass uprising in August last year. She fled to India and has been in exile ever since. Hundreds of protesters were killed during the uprising and Ms Hasina now faces charges, including crimes against humanity.
The Independent
5 minutes ago
- The Independent
Father who stepped into path of train carrying young son jailed for 10 years
A suicidal father who attempted to murder his two-year-old son by walking in front of a train while carrying the child after learning his ex-partner had moved on has been jailed for 10 years. Frederick Danquah, 28, stepped in front of a train while holding his son after a relationship breakdown with the child's mother. Both the child and Danquah were injured in the incident at Garrowhill railway station in Glasgow's east end on July 2, 2023. Danquah denied attempted murder and another charge of culpable and reckless conduct, regarding another incident on the same date, stating his mental condition as a defence, but he was convicted by a jury at the High Court in Glasgow last month. At the same court on Wednesday, the judge said the 'harm was of the greatest kind' and sentenced Danquah to 10 years in prison. He also imposed a non-harassment order until the child is 18. The court heard that earlier that day, Danquah tried to climb over a footbridge above the M8 in Glasgow with his son on his shoulders, after arguing with his ex-partner who told him she had 'moved on'. After posting a suicidal message on Facebook, he prepared a 'contingency plan' including a note with contact details, the court heard. Danquah collected the child from relatives and took him into Glasgow city centre and met his sister's partner, before he attempted to climb the bridge over the M8. He was spotted by police but 'reassured them', the court heard, before he travelled to Garrowhill station with the child and made an attempt on their lives. British Transport Police said Danquah sustained a broken jaw and fracture to his neck, while his son suffered cuts and bruises but no serious injuries, and the child was discharged from hospital two days later. Sentencing, Judge Tony Kelly said: 'You went to the platform, picked up your son and walked into the path of a train. You suffered injuries and your son was injured. 'To seek to take the life of your son over some hours is great criminality. I have no doubt about your intentions. You meant to have his mother attend his funeral. It is clear you were most affected by the end of your relationship. 'She moved on, it's clear you felt unable to do so. She told you she had moved on. 'You were intent on taking your own life on July 2, 2023. There were opportunities to place your son in the care of others, instead you took him with you.' He said a train driver 'saw you step in the path of a train' and people involved in the rescue were in 'various stages of upset'. Danquah's ex-partner suffered from anxiety and had given evidence about seeing her son in hospital with severe bruising, the court heard. Judge Kelly added: 'You considered taking the life of a two-year-old. You sought to bring about for your partner the death of her son. You require to be punished.' The court heard Danquah had no previous convictions and was involved in a Ghanian community group. Danquah made further attempts on his life including in December 2023, the court heard. Defending, Gary Allan said it was a 'horrible miracle' and Danquah was receiving psychiatric help since a 'one-off horror story took place at his own hand'. Mr Allan said Danquah's ex-partner had written to the judge to offer a 'substantial degree of support', including 'confirmation of his relationship with his child' and 'a suggestion of some kind of disbelief that he could have done this', the court heard. He added: 'The verdict of the jury was that the mental condition of the accused was not such that the statutory defence was made out. What the jury didn't do was say that he wasn't suffering from some kind of depressive condition.' Mr Allan said Danquah had been 'beaten up by other prisoners', and jail 'will be living nightmare for him'. He urged the judge not to impose a non-harassment order, saying it would 'sever the relationship' with the child.
The Independent
5 minutes ago
- The Independent
Don't put expensive items at front of stores because ‘people will nick them', minister tells shopkeepers
Shopkeepers should not place 'high value' items close to store entrances because 'obviously people will nick', a Labour minister has told shopkeepers. It comes after new figures showed that shoplifting is at a record high, with retailers accusing police of not doing enough to tackle the problem. Asked about the issue, policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said expensive items such as alcohol should not be displayed at the front of stores and said shopkeepers needed to do more to deter shoplifters. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Dame Diana said: 'I think stores need to play their part in making sure that items that are high value are not at the front of the store because that is an issue in some stores, that they put bottles of alcohol at the front of the store, which obviously people will nick. 'If they are going to steal to resell, they will nick items like that. So I think it is not just one thing here, it has to be an approach with the retailers, with the government and with the police to work together.' But she warned members of the public against confronting shoplifters, after Tory Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley Matthew Barber claimed people had a duty to stand up to shoplifters rather than relying solely on police officers. 'I would not advise people to tackle an individual who was stealing. I came across someone stealing in a store in Hull. 'I went straight to the assistant to tell them what was happening. I felt that was the best thing to do. 'Obviously, it is a judgment for individuals to take, but I am worried about people feeling they need to have a go. I don't think that is appropriate', she said. Shoplifting hit a record high in 2024, with the number of offences surpassing 500,000 for the first time. Some 530,643 offences were recorded by forces in England and Wales in 2024/25 - up 20 per cent from 444,022 in 2023/24 and is the highest total since current police recording practices began in 2002/03. Offences involving theft from the person have also remained at record levels. Some 151,220 of these offences were recorded by forces in the year to March, up 15 per cent from 131,584 in the previous 12 months – again, the highest since the current recording began in 2002/03. Speaking on Wednesday, Richard Walker, the executive chairman of supermarket chain Iceland, argued that shoplifting is getting worse because offenders appeared to be able to act with 'impunity'. 'We now have over 1,000 serious incidents a year, serious incidents being marauding gangs, violent assaults, needles, knives, hammers, you name it', he told the Today programme. 'I go through our weekly serious incidents report every Monday morning, and it is clear that firstly, there is now no area of the country unaffected by this issue, it happens everywhere from small market towns through to big inner cities. 'But secondly, and importantly, there is an impunity, an increasing level of violence that is caused by a lack of deterrent.' Responding to his remarks, Dame Diana said: 'I think he does actually have a point, and that's why we're investing into neighbourhood policing, because we know a police deterrent in our town centres and in our high streets is really important in starting to tackle shop theft and anti-social behaviour. 'We're bringing forward legislation to make it a specific offence to assault a retail worker, and we're getting rid of what the previous government brought in, which was this sort of £200 limit. If you stole below £200, the case wouldn't necessarily be proceeded with. 'We want to make clear, if you steal, that is a criminal offence, whether it's £5 or £500, pounds.' On Wednesday, the government announced an expansion of the use of facial recognition technology in an attempt to tackle crime. Seven English forces will have access to 10 vans equipped with cameras across Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley and Hampshire, following recent deployments by London's Met Police and South Wales Police. Dame Diana said she believes the public would back the police's use of live facial recognition cameras, if they are used 'in a very measured, proportionate way to go after' suspects who officers are looking for. But Labour peer Baroness Shami Chakrabarti alleged that the technology had been 'developed pretty much completely outside the law', and voiced fears that the government's plan is 'yet another move towards a total surveillance society'.
