A FORMER dock worker accused of sexually abusing four children said he rushed a police interview after being arrested on the anniversary of his daughter's murder.
Stuart Wilson, 52, of Cleethorpe Road, told Grimsby Crown Court yesterday that he was "trying to rush through the interview" so he could place flowers at the site in Pasture Street, Grimsby, where daughter Claire Wilson was violently stabbed in June 2009.
Wilson is currently standing trial after denying one charge of rape, one of attempted rape, 16 counts of indecent assault and one of supplying heroin.
The alleged offences relate to four women – who were girls at the time – and are said to have occurred between 1989 and 2003.
In a further reference to his tragic daughter, when asked why he thought the women had made the accusations, Wilson said: "I don't know. Maybe it is for money for the story or compensation.
"I've seen the amounts of money magazines will give for a story. I've had experience of it with what happened to my own daughter."
It was Wilson's turn to take to the dock yesterday to give the jury his side of the story.
Under cross examination from prosecuting barrister, Jonathan Sharp, Wilson denied having committed any of the offences he is charged with.
He said: "It is all made up from start to finish; I'm not capable of doing anything like that.
"I wouldn't do it and I couldn't do it."
He added: "I vehemently refute all these allegations."
When asked why he had given "no comment" responses to many of the questions in his initial police interview, Wilson told the court he was arrested on the anniversary of Claire's death and wanted to "get out of there" and place flowers at the site she had been stabbed by Alan McMullan, who is currently serving a life sentence for killing her.
He added that "it soon became clear I wasn't going anywhere until the next day".
Defence barrister Craig Lowe told the court that Wilson had a string of previous criminal convictions but has always admitted them.
He said Wilson pleaded guilty to charges of handling in 1978, assault causing actual bodily harm in 1979, non-dwelling burglaries in 2007 and possessing a knife, shoplifting and possessing heroin later that year.
Wilson told the jury that the current allegations are "disgusting" and "devastating".
Before Wilson gave his evidence, the jury heard from the final two complainants.
The first sobbed as she claimed Wilson had touched her inappropriately on two occasions when she was between eight and nine years old.
The final complainant branded Wilson as "creepy" and alleged he had touched her inappropriately when she was five or six years old.
The jury in the trial is expected to be sent out on Monday.
ON THE WEB: Follow the trial at www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk
