Telford pub landlord 'groped girl twice on same day', court told
A pub landlord from Telford groped a teenage girl twice in one day, a court heard.
Pal Singh Atwal, 54, is accused of sexually assaulting the girl, who was 19 at the time and cannot be named for legal reasons, at the Duke of York pub in Trench Road, Trench.
She claims he groped her twice on the same day in August 2013, in two different locations inside the public house. But Singh, who lives at and runs the pub, denies the two charges and eight other counts of sexual assault against other victims.
His trial started at Stafford Crown Court yesterday, where the first alleged victim, who is now 21, gave evidence against him from behind a black curtain.
The jury watched a video tape of her original interview with police a week after the offence where she claimed Atwal assaulted her twice on August 23, 2013.
The first offence was alleged to have happened in Atwal's bedroom above the pub. The second, a few hours later, is said to have taken place in a tiny downstairs office.
But under cross-examination from Atwal's barrister, Miss Kim Hollis QC, the victim was accused of making the whole thing up.
Miss Hollis put to her: "Nothing untoward happened with Mr Atwal that day, did it?"
"Yes, it did," the victim replied.
The trial continues.
