THE long-term partner of a Witney pensioner accused of historic sexual assault said he was ‘never alone’ with two of the accusers, a court has heard.

Roy Summers has denied 17 counts of historic child sex abuse, including two counts of rape, at the start of his trial at Oxford Crown Court.

It is alleged that the 80-year-old had sexually assaulted three girls, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, in the 1990s and early 2000s.

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The assaults were said to have taken place at his address in Springfield Oval, Witney, as well as his car and a shed.

The court heard the ages ranged from four to 13 years old.

A jury heard evidence on Monday (January 29) from Summers’ long-term partner, Christine, who has been with Summers since 1992.

She said that Summers was ‘never ever’ alone with two of the girls who have accused him of sexual assault as she was always present in the house.

When asked if the two girls were ever alone in the house without an adult or without the third girl, the witness said: “No, never.

“I never saw [the girls] at our house on their own.”

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She added that when the girls were at the house, there were always adults around, including herself who would be ‘making jam sandwiches’ while the children ‘were running amok’.

“[It was a] tremendously busy house,” she said. “It was mayhem. People in and out all the time. It took a long time to get used to people coming and going.

“It was a bit chaotic at times.”

When one of the girls gave evidence in court last week, she alleged that Summers has ‘nothing to be scared of’ in terms of adults being present in the house.

She said: “You need to understand it wouldn’t have been a room full of adults. My mum just didn’t care and wouldn’t have stopped it.”

When asked if the children would ever bath at the house, Christine said one would but the other two had never – despite one telling a jury Summers had ordered her to take her knickers off and wash.

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She said: “It was me [who washed her]. She was sometimes a bit dishevelled. She was about seven or eight.

“Roy would be in the house but sitting downstairs watching the television and I’d be upstairs with [the girl]. I never used to leave her alone. I would be upstairs.”

The trial continues with the defence case in court this week.