Rape case grandfather goes on trial

The 58 year old is alleged to have committed the offences in his lorry in 2003.

This week Luton crown court heard that it wasn’t until 2011 that the victim was able to tell police what had happened when he was living in Sandy.

And, a jury heard, when detectives questioned the grandfather’s ex-wife about the allegations, she told them she too had been raped by him.

The grandfather is on trial pleading not guilty to the rape of his ex wife between March and July 2003 and two charges of raping his grandson between July and November of the same year.

Michael Speak, for the prosecution, told the court that back in 2003, and for a short while, the defendant’s grandson had gone to live with his wife in Sandy, whom he was separated from.

Although the couple were in the process of divorce, the defendant would pop in from time to time to see his wife.

The jury heard that the boy, who was around 14 at the time, would be taken out in his grandfather’s lorry on occasions and it was in the vehicle that the offences are said to have occurred.

Mr Speak said: “The grandson said that it happened every day for some months. He said he had been threatened by the defendant. He remembered he had a large hunting knife and he remembered him saying he would cut him up and leave him on the side of the motorway if he told anyone what was going on.”

The prosecutor said police officers decided to talk to the grandfather’s ex wife and she remembered him taking his grandson out in the lorry.

She described how one evening while he was visiting, she had been feeling unwell and gone to bed.

The woman said she remembered being woken by the defendant, who pinned her down on her bed and raped her.

“He said while we are still married I can do to you whatever I want and you have no say in it,” said Mr Speak.

The man was arrested in March of last year.

He denied the allegations saying that once he and his wife separated they never had sex.

The man told police his grandson had never gone out with him in the lorry and he said the claims were “all rubbish.”

The case continues