Paul Gascoigne kissed stranger 'out of the blue' on train, sex assault trial hears
The alleged victim, whose voice broke as she gave evidence in court, says she "completely froze" during the incident.
Monday 14 October 2019 18:02, UK
A woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by Paul Gascoigne on a train has told a court the former England footballer planted a sloppy, drunken kiss on her lips that left her "shocked".
The trial relates to an alleged incident on a York to Newcastle train in August 2018.
The former Tottenham Hotspur player is facing a charge of sexual assault and pleaded not guilty back in January.
Gascoigne, 52, allegedly told police he had "kissed a fat lass" after the incident, claiming other passengers on the train had teased the alleged victim about her build and he had been trying to boost her confidence.
At the opening of the trial, jurors at Teesside Crown Court heard Gascoigne was drunk and swearing during the journey.
William Mousley QC, prosecuting, said: "This case concerns a brief but unpleasant assault with sexual overtones on a train by a drunken male stranger in his 50s."
The woman, who cannot be named, says Gascoigne had been sat behind her and was being noisy and had food around his mouth.
She had put headphones on and tried to ignore the noise, but he tried to engage with her and other passengers, at one point asking if she was a palm reader.
"I said no and tried to keep looking forward," she told jurors from behind a screen.
The unaccompanied woman described how later in the journey Gascoigne tried to sit on her lap.
After she moved aside, he allegedly grabbed her face and planted a kiss on her lips.
The woman's voice broke as she told the court: "I tried to keep my mouth firmly shut, I just completely froze.
"It was just sloppy and it wasn't like a peck on the cheek like you might give someone, it was very full on the lips."
She said the kiss came "completely out of the blue" and had left her "shocked".
Other passengers giving evidence in court said they had seen Gascoigne kiss the woman "forcibly" and she had appeared "upset" and "distressed".
One witness claimed the former footballer told other passengers he had been trying to comfort the woman, seeming "panic stricken because of what he did".
The alleged victim called police after getting off the train and did not recognise Gascoigne at the time.
Gascoigne was traced to a hotel in Newcastle and told officers on the phone that he knew what it was about, according to Mr Mousley.
The woman later learned who he was after seeing on Sky News that the footballer had been arrested.
Gascoigne's defence will be that he has a tendency to kiss people "in a non-sexual manner", the court heard.