DJ Neil Fox 'took phone calls from teenage girl while on air'

Updated

DJ Neil Fox used to take regular secret telephone calls while on air from a teenage girl he had sexual relations with, an alleged victim has told his assault trial.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told police she "idolised" the then-Capital FM presenter, who once gave her a tour of the records library where she performed a sex act on him while he touched her.

She later visited his home and continued their relationship, she said.

Fox's trial heard that the woman was aged 15 at the time of the alleged records library incident in 1988.

Giving video evidence at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, the woman said she was invited to Fox's studio after attending a Junior Best Disco event with her friends where she met the DJ.

A year later, aged 16, the alleged victim began visiting Fox's flat which he shared with a girlfriend at the time. On one occasion she performed a sex act on him, the court heard.

During an interview with police, she said first met Fox at the disco event in 1988, just before she turned 15, and asked him for an autograph.

She said: "I can't remember if I didn't have any paper or not and asked him to sign my jeans.

"He wrote 'Nice bum' on the back pocket of my jeans and signed it. I can't remember if he said 'You should come up to Capital and see me some time' or if we just did.

"But every Saturday me and my friends did. We would spend most of the day outside (the studios) and see the DJs."

The witness showed police during interviews a series of pictures of herself with the DJ, known as Foxy, as well as other radio personalities including Pat Sharp.

Fox would sign autographs "kissy kissy" and his name, the court heard.

The alleged victim said Fox once asked her to help carry some things to his car, a blue Volkswagen Beetle, in the underground car park and he "snogged" her, the court heard.

"I remember babbling to him about star signs. He asked me how old I was, and I said 14.

"He might have asked me when my birthday was.

"He was standing by his car, I was in front of him. I just remember kissing him with tongues."

She said she was not upset at the time and was happy the DJ was paying her attention.

The alleged victim said she would chat to Fox "a couple of times a week" by calling his studio - keeping the whole thing a secret from her parents.

She told the court: "I used to phone him. At 11pm they had the news then had three records back to back.

"Somehow I could phone directly into the studio and often used to phone him to have a little chat with him for five minutes.

"I really idolised him, but not in a sexual way. I probably would have said what I had been doing at school. I can't remember anything specific.

"I used to phone him from the home phone. My mum didn't know.

"God knows how I got away with it. I never got caught, unbelievably."

A few months after turning 15, the alleged victim said Fox offered her a pre-planned tour of the records library.

She said: "When we went into the library in the back corner, he kissed me.

"He undid his jeans, he had an erection. I was touching him, I was just 15.

"I didn't have much idea what to do. I think he had his hand on top of my hand. He was guiding me.

"I was wearing a skirt and he had his hand inside my knickers."

The alleged victim said she "didn't enjoy it from the point of view of being turned on" as this was her first sexual experience and the first erection she had seen. She said she was not forced to do it but was "too young" to feel sexually excited by it.

The following year, the alleged victim said she would turn up at Fox's flat occasionally.

She said: "I told him I had a Saturday job ... He said I should come round to his flat.

"I don't think he told me where he lived but I think I knew. I visited for about six months occasionally.

"We would just go in and chat a bit. I don't recall him touching me but I did touch him."

She said she got a boyfriend some time later and did not contact Fox again.

The trial resumed today after a break of nearly three weeks.

Fox previously described as "incredulous" allegations that he sexually and indecently assaulted women and girls over a quarter of a century.

The 54-year-old, of Fulham in south west London, denies eight counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault between 1988 and 2014.

He is expected to give live evidence in his defence.

Giving live evidence from behind a screen to protect her identity, the alleged victim discussed how she was part of a friendship group involving other former Capital FM fans in which they discussed a "sweepstake" on how many new witnesses would come forward following Fox's arrest.

She told the court it was "banter between friends" and seemed "awful" taken out of context.

Under cross-examination from defence counsel Jonathan Caplan QC, the woman said she discussed her relationship for the first time with some of the friends during a holiday this year.

Mr Caplan read an email to the court from his client addressed to one of the alleged victim's friends, also a member of the group, following his initial arrest in September 2014.

In the email, Fox wrote: "I was wondering if you might be able to help me ...

"It certainly is a very uncomfortable place to be and I think you might be able to help me if that isn't too much to ask."

The email was eventually passed from the friend to the alleged victim who drafted a reply but did not send it to Fox.

The reply said she was "totally gutted" to hear of Fox's arrest and felt a part of her "teenage years were tarnished".

She said she had "no complaints" about her relationship with Fox, but said she would feel "uncomfortable" if the initial complainants were not believed, the court heard.

Mr Caplan said the draft was sent to the alleged victim's friend in the hope of backing up stories she told about Fox during the holiday to make them "jealous" of her. The woman denied this.

Fox denied ever having sexual relations with the alleged 15-year-old victim.

In a police statement read before the court, Fox said some young fans tried to be "very inappropriate" with him and his colleagues.

But he said he always told them to stop if the fans overstepped things.

The veteran DJ said the complainant "had a soft spot" for him, and that he was teased because she was "fixated" with him.

Fox said in interview: "I'm sorry but I don't want to snog a 15-year-old girl, I know that's where we're heading and I haven't done it.

"I don't know why these girls are saying this. I've not done this. That's not who I am, and that's not who we were."

He added: "Most of these people (fans) were absolutely respectful and nice and charming, and they might want a picture and a peck on the cheek.

"Some of them were probably trying a bit more, more affectionate than others.

"We would try and be as nice as possible.

"There were loss of girls that tried to be very inappropriate with myself and my colleagues. We'd talk about it and, thank god, security are there to stop it.

"The number of times we have had people come up and grab my arse, grab my body - you have to stop people doing it."

The trial continues. Fox is due to give evidence from the witness box on Wednesday.

Advertisement