Man in hospital room with Rolf Harris ’saw nothing that gave cause for concern’, court hears
A man in the room at the time when Rolf Harris allegedly assaulted a blind, disabled woman said he heard or saw nothing that gave him "cause for concern", a court has heard.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told Southwark Crown Court in London that he welcomed the entertainer into the room at Moorfields Eye Hospital where the complainant was, admitting he would have been paying "very little" attention to the pair.
The complainant previously told the court that Harris swooped on her like a "hawk pouncing on his prey", leaving her "completely and utterly trapped" during the incident in 1977.
Prosecutor Jonathan Rees asked: "In the course of that period he was in your company can you recall any event that gave you cause for concern?"
The witness, who was in his late teens or early 20s at the time of the alleged assault, said: "I saw nothing that gave me cause for concern or heard anything that gave me cause for concern."
He went on: "I can’t recall anything being reported to me, by anybody, of any concern."
Asked if that included the complainant, he replied: "That would include (the complainant)."
Stephen Vullo, defending, asked the man: "Did you at any point see Mr Harris stand up and walk round to the back of (the complainant’s) chair, crouch down behind her and grab both her breasts for a period of time?"
He answered: "I do not recall that happening."
Of the woman’s claims Harris had ejaculated during the incident, Mr Vullo then asked: "Do you think anything you would be doing ... would have allowed you to miss an event like that?"
He continued: "I do not recall anything like that happening, and I can’t recall seeing anything like that happening when I was facing the two individuals.
"I just can’t recall anything like that happening."
The witness said he did not remember discussing with the woman about whether she should ring the police.
Asked by Mr Vullo if he was certain he replied: "Yes, I am sure."
