A man on trial accused of sexual offences involving 10 females has claimed that rape allegations relating to two teenage girls were consensual acts.
During his evidence at the High Court in Aberdeen, Matthew Watson, 36, disputed claims made by two women who claimed that he had raped them when they were between the ages of 14 and 16.
One woman, now 23, alleged that Watson chatted to her on the social media platforms Facebook and WhatsApp before taking her to a layby outside Inverness and raping her when she was 14.
Another woman, now 28, told the court that she was raped more than 12 times by Watson at his flat in New Elgin when she was 16 – adding that he had “bragged” about it.
She also claimed that, after chatting to Watson on the social media site Bebo, he had driven her to an isolated spot near Dufftown and raped her between December 2010 and December 2012.
Accused admitted charge of asking dad to delete his Facebook account
Yesterday, Watson – who was initially facing 22 charges – pleaded guilty to three charges, including one of attempting to pervert the course of justice after he asked his father to delete his Facebook account over fears that he’d get “nailed” by police.
He also admitted having sex with a girl between September 2012 and September 2013 when she was around 14 or 15 years old.
Three charges relating to lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and of coercing a teenager into sending sexual images of herself were dropped by the Crown Office.
Watson now faces 15 charges, including one charge that he drove a 14-year-old to a secluded wood between late 2007 or early 2008 and intended to rape her.
He denies the charges against him.
During cross-examination, Advocate depute Craig Murray asked Watson if the 23-year-old woman’s “graphic account” of being forced to carry out a sex act in a layby outside Inverness was a “fabrication”?
He replied: “It’s certainly not the truth.”
Watson then claimed the girl had carried out the sex act as a “thank you” to him giving her a lift home from Nairn in his car.
He added: “There was certainly no force or element of force and she went away home afterwards and spoke to me thereafter.”
‘You would have the jury believe that all these women are lying?’
In response to the rape allegations made by a 28-year-old woman, Watson disputed her claim he’d raped her more than 12 times and that she wasn’t able to leave his flat until the following afternoon.
Watson told his defence counsel Bert Kerrigan QC that the girl did stay overnight at his flat, but claimed the sex was “consensual” and that the pair had gone to an event the following morning.
He added: “It was not 12 times we had sex. I don’t know anyone who could do that – it was one or two times.”
The 36-year old now faces remaining charges of sexual offences relating to 10 women in Elgin, Inverness and across Moray over 18 years.
Advocate depute Craig Murray asked him finally: “You would have the ladies and gentlemen of the jury believe that all these women are lying?”
Watson replied: “I never said they were lying. I’ve admitted to what I’ve done wrong and I take no issue with that.
“But certainly to the other parts of the indictment, that’s just not me.”
The trial continues.
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