A PENSIONER accused of historic sex abuse against a child during the 1970s will have to wait to learn his fate after the jury retired to consider verdicts.

Philip Oliver denies 12 sexual offences against a child in Dines Green, Worcester, between 1971 and 1980 at his trial at Worcester Crown Court.

The 70-year-old former milkman of Wilson Road, Shurdington, near Cheltenham denies six indecent assaults against a child under 13, four counts of indecency with a child under 14, one count of sexual intercourse with girl under 16 and a further alternative count of attempting to have sexual intercourse with a child under 16.

Closing speeches came from prosecutor James Dunstan and defence advocate Adam Western followed by a summary of the evidence by Judge Nicolas Cartwright. Mr Dunstan said the complainant had turned from a ‘nice kid’ to ‘a bit of a monster’, asking the jury to consider whether this was her being rebellious or caused by ‘something darker’.

He also told the jury three separate witnesses described Oliver exposing himself. Oliver was first accused of the abuse in the 1980s but did nothing to fight to clear his name said Mr Dunstan. Oliver did go to a GP and a psychiatrist or psychologist. “What he does admit is that he went because he was troubled and the prosecution say he was troubled by what he knew he had done” said Mr Dunstan.

He also made reference to the complainant’s ability to cite detail from that period which he said showed that ‘throughout her life she has never really been able to shake the memories off’.

But Adam Western, for Oliver, said the complainant had exaggerated her account, that it was ‘rehearsed’ and that her video evidence was ‘a performance’. He reminded the jury that the police had decided to take no further action against Oliver when the complainant reported him in 1993, that there were ‘no papers in existence’ about the earlier investigation and that the police officer to whom she was referred at that time had since died.

Mr Western said the complainant had first reported the allegations against Oliver after she had been arrested for theft. “Why wait until she gets in trouble with the law?” said Mr Western. When she reported the allegations to police again in 2016 she was making an application for compensation.

“Has she exaggerated her complaint to inflate her claim for compensation?” said Mr Western. The jury retired at 3.26pm yesterday. Deliberates resume this morning. The trial continues.