John Leslie says sex assault allegations 'crazy'

Former Blue Peter presenter John Leslie has described sexual assault allegations against him as "crazy" and "ludicrous".

Giving evidence at his trial at Southwark Crown Court the 55-year-old denied grabbing a woman's breasts at a Soho party in 2008.

Earlier, a friend of the alleged victim said Mr Leslie's friend had apologised for his behaviour afterwards.

Mr Leslie has denied the charge of sexual assault.

In the years before the alleged incident, he told jurors, he had been made out in the tabloid press to be an "aggressive, sexual monster".

Giving evidence, he said: "The idea that I would do that is just crazy, especially the way that I was with everything that had been going on.

"I was paranoid, I was aware and conscious of wherever I was.

"To go up to a total stranger I had never met and do that is just ludicrous."

"I would have said 'hello', I would have talked to her. I would not have touched her like some mannequin and walked off."

The jury also heard how separate sex charges against him were dropped in 2003.

On the third day of Mr Leslie's trial the friend of the accuser said she had attended the party on 5 December and, while she did not remember seeing a sexual assault, she described what she remembered of "the aftermath".

"John's demeanour did not change," said the witness, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

"He was still very excitable and very happy to be there, but there seemed to be a sudden shift of atmosphere from [the complainant].

"And there was almost disbelief and sort of a galled feeling."

The witness said a woman who was also at the party, who she believed might have been an old friend of Mr Leslie's, approached her later in the evening and apologised for his behaviour.

The witness told the jury: "The gist was, 'sorry about John, he's very excited to be here, it's been a long time since he has been to a party like this and sometimes he just gets over-excited and goes over the top'."

The complainant alleges Mr Leslie grabbed her breasts and laughed immediately after they shook hands.

The trial continues