Paul Gascoigne arrives at court today, where a prosecutor said he had ‘lied, lied and lied again’ over why he kissed a woman on his train
Paul Gascoigne ‘lied, lied and lied again’ in his teary explanation of why he kissed a woman on a train, the prosecutor in the case has said.
The former England footballer is on trial for one charge of sexual assault by ‘forcefully and sloppily’ kissing the woman on the train on August 20 last year.
Prosecutor William Mousley QC launched a scathing attack on the 52-year-old’s account of the incident in his closing speech to the jury at Teesside Crown Court, insisting he ‘lied, lied and lied again.’
Referencing Gascoigne’s suggestion that he only sounded slurred during the train journey because he had taken a dental bridge out of his mouth, Mr Mousley said the former footballer had ‘lied through his teeth, whichever teeth they were’.
Gascoigne’s counsel pointed out that a kiss does not have to be a sexual act – reminding jurors how Gascoigne was kissed by team-mates after scoring ‘one of the greatest goals anyone has ever seen.’
As the trial reached its closing stages Mr Mousley told jurors: ‘The must be no difference between royalty or sporting heroes of this or previous generations and the ordinary person, there is no distinction, no difference.
‘To start to separate out certain individuals sends out a signal to anyone who on the train or bus kisses someone, rubs up against them, stands close, breathes down there neck in a bar or a club.
‘All that person needs to say is ‘ah yeah, but I didn’t intend it to be sexual.
‘If nothing else we invite you to treat Paul Gascoigne just like anybody else. He is not deserving of special treatment. Equally he is not deserving of prejudice against him. He has to be tried like anybody else.’
Yesterday, he broke down in tears as he claimed he was trying to give his alleged sexual assault victim a ‘confidence boost’
Gascoigne, pictured with his legal team and supporters, insists the incident on the train happened after a comment reminded him of his problem with weight issues
Mr Mousley said Gascoigne had made up his account of what happened on the York to Newcastle train on August 20th last year, saying he came to the woman’s rescue after hearing an unknown man call out that she was ‘fat and ugly.’
He said afterwards he kissed her to boost her confidence and that it made him recall his own battles with his weight when he was called a ‘fat bastard’ every time he played.
Mr Mousley said: ‘He lied and lied and lied again. He lied right up to an including the time he was giving evidence in court yesterday.
‘There is an obvious and clear reason as to why he lied and that is because he knows he is guilty of sexual assault but he wants to put up a smoke screen, to cause a diversion and suggest it was not as it so obviously was.
‘He lied as soon as he did it. He apologised but (his victim) said it didn’t seem like a genuine apology, he said it for the sake of it and because he had been caslled out and put on the spot in that carriage.’
Michelle Heeley, QC, defending, said there was no sexual intention in Gascoigne’s kiss and that meant the jury must find him not guilty.
She said kisses did not have to be sexual, adding: ‘A kiss can be between a mother and a child, between two friends and it can be a kiss from a team-mate when you have scored one of the greatest goals anyone has ever seen against Scotland in Euro 96.’
She added: ‘Paul gascoigne is not asking for any special treatment. Whether it is Joe Bloggs or Paul Gascoigne makes no difference, he is not asking for special treatment and that suggestion is outrageous quite frankly.
‘He did not kiss her for any other reason other than to reassure her that she was not fat and ugly. There was no sexual intention behind it.’
Jurors were shown photos of Gascoigne kissing celebrities including Princess Diana in 1990
Gascoigne broke down in tears yesterday as he claimed he was ‘trying to protect’ the alleged victim after another passenger called her fat and ugly.
Gascoigne, 52, admitted he kissed the woman but said he wanted to ‘give her some confidence’ after cruel jibes about her weight.
The ex-Newcastle and Spurs player denies sexual assault by ‘forcefully and sloppily’ kissing the woman last year. Teesside Crown Court heard previously he took the woman’s face in his hands, which caused other passengers to intervene.
Gascoigne had cake smeared on his forehead and was ‘loud and enthusiastic’ on the train at Darlington, Co Durham.
Michelle Heeley QC, defending, shared photos of the former footballer kissing celebrities and fans. She claimed he was a ‘tactile’ person who often greeted women with a hug and a kiss.
Pictures circulated to the jury showed Gascoigne kissing Diana, Argentine hero Maradona, Wayne Rooney and comedian Russell Brand.
The jury was also shown a photo of him kissing Argentine footballer Diego Maradona
Miss Heeley also read out a character reference from former boxing champion Ricky Hatton, who said Gascoigne regularly kissed him over the years.
He said: ‘He is a very tactile person and rushes up to me grabs my hand and gives me a hug and sometimes a kiss.
‘I have seen Paul go up to other people, both male and female. It is just Paul’s way – he has never meant any offence.’
Gascoigne, of Leicester, said cruel comments made to the woman on the train brought back memories of his nephew Jay Kerrigan, 22, who overdosed on drugs in 2016. Mr Kerrigan had suffered from anorexia.
But William Mousley QC, prosecuting, told Gascoigne: ‘You were drunk on that train…You kissed a complete stranger forcefully and sloppily on the lips, wholly unexpectedly, in a way a reasonable person would find to be sexual.’
However, Gascoigne told the court: ‘I was not drunk. It was not sexual. I was just reacting to a lady who had been called fat and ugly – having lost a nephew to it. I had no alcohol at all before I left the house.
Left, Gascoigne kissing Danny Baker and right, Gascoigne kissing Wayne Rooney
He continued: ‘I was messing about [on the train] with the nephews and a bit of cake went on my head.
‘One of the ladies across from me said, ‘That’s Gazza sitting there’. I smiled at them and they asked if they could have a selfie. They got the camera out and gave it to [the victim] and asked if she would mind taking the photo.
‘As I got up someone said, ‘You won’t want a photo with her – she’s fat and ugly’. I did not see who said it. I have been in treatment regarding my weight problems. I was called fat b****** every time I played.
‘When I heard that noise ‘fat and ugly’ obviously it brought back losing Jay. When someone gets called that name I automatically want to protect them. I went and sat next to her and said, ‘You are not fat or ugly – you are beautiful inside and out’. And then I pecked her.’
Photographs of Paul Gascoigne kissing fans were shown to the jury during his sexual assault trial currently being heard at Teesside Crown Court
He continued: ‘I kissed her just on the lips. I did not mean the kiss in the sexual manner. My intention was to protect and support her. It was to say ‘Take no notice of what you have heard’.
‘Another passenger said ‘That is sexual assault’. She [the alleged victim] said it was OK. I did not know she was shocked or upset because she said to the other woman that it was fine.
‘I did something to try and give her some confidence. I thought she had already been humiliated.’
The court earlier heard Gascoigne told police he had ‘kissed a fat lass’ when questioned about the incident.
The trial continues.