A lorry driver accused of raping a ten-year-old gi

A lorry driver accused of raping a ten-year-old girl has
walked free after he told the Old Bailey he never laid a finger
on the child.

The girl wept as she told the court how Ian Dougall, 30,
acted as if nothing had happened just moments after raping her
when she was visiting a Bermondsey home.

A few months later, in the early 1980s, he was said to have
indecently assaulted her.

The girl who now lives in Plaistow, said she had only made
the rape complaint recently because she was frightened to do so
at the time.

But Dougall, of Somerset Gardens, Tottenham,
told the court: ‘It never happened.

I have got no idea why
she should make it up.

‘
The court heard that the girl had seen Dougall after
the alleged offences and showed no signs of dislike towards him.

Ms Susan Edwards, defending Dougall, said the dates when
the girl alleged the assaults had taken place did not match
the age she claimed to be at the time.

Ms Edwards dismissed the girl’s story as implausible, telling
the jury the girl had invented and embellished it.

She pointed out that the girl claimed she could clearly
remember some details such as her clothing, but others were
very vague, such as how Dougall was alleged to have stripped her.

She said the girl had claimed Dougall attacked her
on other occasions, but could not remember any of the
details, and said: ‘Surely she would remember.

‘
‘You have got tragically here a picture of a very
unhappy and troubled young girl who said something that
probably even she cannot now understand, but as soon as
it was out she had burnt her boats and she cannot go
back on it.

‘
Dougall was cleared of rape and two charges of indecent
assault.

ENDS