A WOMAN giving evidence in a sexual assault trial told a jury she didn’t think that the defendant had committed an offence when he indecently exposed himself to her.

The woman took the stand at Winchester Crown Court on August 20 and 21, when she spoke about an incident on November 11 last year at Basingstoke Rugby Football Club, where David Ashford, the former chair of players, is alleged to have committed a string of sexual assaults against two women.

The jury heard on Monday from the other alleged victim, who claims 34-year-old Mr Ashford, of Coniston Road, Kempshott, Basingstoke touched her breast and thigh, tried to kiss her and exposed his genitals in her face.

The second alleged victim stood in court on Monday afternoon to begin giving evidence.

She said Mr Ashford exposed himself to her in the corridor at the rugby club, saying: “Instead of Dave holding the door open for us to go out, he closed it. He already had his trousers undone and had his penis in his hand and said ‘why don’t you have a go on this?’ to which I thought ‘you stupid idiot’. I put both my hands on his chest and shoved him.”

She added: “I wasn’t offended and I wasn’t upset.”

The woman said she understood why Mr Ashford exposed himself, saying: “He maybe thought something could happen, he would think I wouldn’t say anything.”

She said she would not have reported the incident, adding: “I wouldn’t have gone to the police or told anyone else. I might have pulled Dave to the side and said ‘what are you playing at’, but I wouldn’t have done anything else, had it not been for what he did to [the other alleged victim].”

She told the jury: “I didn’t see what he did to me as an offence, although I was a bit disgusted.”

The woman said the other alleged victim told her that what had happened, and she then reported the matter to Steve Tristram, the club’s chairman, who went to the police.

Asked about the state of the other woman following the alleged assault, she said she was in “floods of tears, in a real state”.

Returning to the stand yesterday morning on the second day of the trial, the woman said the other alleged victim was not herself following the alleged assault, and said: “She wasn’t drinking, normally she is the life and soul of the party and drinking and dancing and wanting to have a good night, but she wasn’t like that at all.”

Defence barrister Nick Tucker suggested the woman had added to her version of events over time.

He also highlighted discrepancies between the two women’s accounts of what had happened.

Mr Tucker asked the woman if she had spoken to other witnesses in the case after being told not to, to which the woman said she had not.

He read out a series of messages suggesting the matter was discussed by both the alleged victims and another witness, and said: “Despite knowing that you weren’t to discuss the evidence in the case with other witnesses, you went ahead and did.”

The woman replied: “I don’t remember the conversation. We didn’t ever discuss the case. We have become close friends due to this, she has been deeply affected by this and I have been there as a friend for her, but we don’t discuss the case.”

Witness Sam Woodhams, a former player for Basingstoke Rugby Football Club, also gave evidence yesterday morning, telling the jury he had been involved in ‘initiation games’ at the club that night, involving drinking a ‘dirty pint’ of mixed drinks before eating Weetabix.

Mr Woodhams said one of the alleged victims told him that Mr Ashford had exposed himself to her and tried to touch her.

He added: “She was in a state of panic and she looked distraught.”

Mr Tucker asked Mr Woodhams if he had previously kissed the woman in question, to which he responded to say he had, but said there was nothing romantic between them, adding: “I’m married with three children.”

Following the alleged victim confiding in Mr Woodhams, he said he saw her go outside with Mr Ashford. He said he followed them outside but couldn’t see them so came back inside. After this, he said the woman told him that Mr Ashford had “done it again”.

Mr Tucker said: “You were concerned about what she had told you but not so concerned that you didn’t go back inside.”

Mr Woodhams replied: “I stayed out there for about 30 seconds.”

Asked if he questioned why the woman didn’t shout out to him for help, the 28-year-old said: “I don’t know why she didn’t call out. But I would say she was probably in a state of shock and frozen.”

Mr Woodhams was also questioned about discussing the case with the two other women, after sending a message to one of them saying ‘that’s the bit they’re interested in’.

“Who did you mean by ‘they’?” asked Mr Tucker.

After a long pause, he asked for the question to be repeated, before responding: “Everyone involved. It could be the police, or the club.”

Mr Tucker said: “What I suggest is that you and [the two alleged victims] were trying to get your stories straight and you allude to in your last message that you shouldn’t be talking about the evidence.”

“That’s why I stopped it,” explained Mr Woodhams.

Mr Tucker responded: “But the damage is done by that stage isn’t it? By the time you say this isn’t a good idea you have already had the conversation.”

The trial continues.