http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2417938
Ex-Rock Drummer 'Sexually Abused Music Lessons Teenager' Jury Told
By Andrew Barrow, PA News
A teenage boy with learning difficulties became aggressive towards his
parents and scared to be alone after he was sexually abused by a former rock
drummer, a court heard today.
David Holland, who once played with rock band Judas Priest, is accused of
sexually assaulting the 17-year-old a number of times while the special
needs youngster was visiting his house for drum lessons.
Holland faces one charge of attempted rape and five counts of indecent
assault on the teenager. All the alleged offences are said to have taken
place between June and December 2002.
Holland's co-accused, Spiros Laouitaris, 22, faces four separate indecent
assault charges on the same teenager.
Holland, 55, of The Green, Stoke Bruerne, Northants, and Laouitaris, of
Bourne Crescent, Kings Heath, Northampton, deny all the charges.
The court has heard that the teenager's parents organised the music lessons
to try to boost his self esteem.
But in evidence today, the boy's father said his son's manner changed after
he started visiting Holland's cottage in the Northamptonshire village.
"For us it was a very emotional time," he said. "He was very disturbed,
really aggressive and mixed up. We noticed it.
"During the time he was going to Dave's we noted he was getting blotches on
his arms, towards the end, the last few lessons.
"About the last time he went to Dave's he started to have baths every day.
He doesn't like having baths.
"He didn't want us to go out. One of us had to stay with him. We would sit
up on his bed and watch videos. He just clung to us, he was really
disturbed."
More recently, after leaving college, his parents had found him a Saturday
job from which he went full-time.
"He has been able to feel better and achieve, so he has come on a long way
in this last year," the father said.
The jury of seven women and five men at Northampton Crown Court heard that
the alleged offences came to light in December 2002 when the teenager, who
is now 18 but who cannot be named for legal reasons, told his parents in a
letter of the abuse while staying at Holland's house for drum lessons.
In a video statement to police he outlined the assaults and the attempted
rape during the seven months he visited Holland's house.
He also alleged that Laouitaris joined in assaults and forced him to perform
sex acts during the same period.
Maria Savvides, prosecuting, told the jury on Thursday that the boy had
managed to stop Holland from raping him but had been abused in other ways,
with the drummer using a sex toy on him on one occasion.
Holland joined Birmingham-based Judas Priest in 1979 and played with them
for the next 10 years during which they had several Top 20 hits but never
reached the Top 10.
The hearing was adjourned until Monday.
OZONE Asylum
posted 01-20-2004 13:46
