Haslingden pensioner denies rape and other indecency charges from 40 years ago (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Haslingden pensioner denies rape and other indecency charges from 40 years ago

8:00pm Wednesday 19th September 2012 in News By Wendy Barlow, Court reporter

A PENSIONER accused of raping and performing other sex acts on two Haslingden schoolgirls more than 40 years ago told a jury he didn’t do it.

John Darbyshire, now 76, said the allegations against him were definitely not true and a claim made by one of the alleged victims was ‘preposterous’.

He told Burnley Crown Court: “It’s not me.”

Father-of-two Darbyshire is charged with a string of sex offences against the two alleged victims.

The defendant, now of Abraham Street, Blackburn, denies four charges of rape, seven of indecent assault and four of indecency with a child. Some of the allegations are specimen counts.

The jury has heard claims that Darbyshire repeatedly sexually abused both alleged victims. Neither told anybody what the defendant had allegedly been doing to them at the time.

One, who was to tell police that Darbyshire’s alleged actions made her feel sick, claimed she later suffered depression and had counselling. The other blamed herself for what happened.

Giving evidence as the trial went into a second week, Darbyshire said allegations that he had raped and also abused both girls in other ways were incorrect.

He told the hearing the girls ‘definitely did not’ perform indecent acts on him and he did not commit any sex acts on them. The defendant claimed that if he had done what was alleged, he “would be ashamed” of himself.

Darbyshire told the hearing: “None of these allegations are true and I stand up in this court and deny everything.”

(Proceeding)

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