DJ's alleged assault in Mrs Merton studio

Dave Gorman has given evidence at the trial of Dave Lee Travis, recalling the ‘office gossip’ surrounding a complaint that the former DJ had groped a woman backstage at The Mrs Merton Show.

The comic was a writer on the show when Travis, now 69, allegedly assaulted a female TV personality backstage.

Gorman said the indent at the BBC studios in Manchester in the mid-1990s was considered 'aggressive' and not a 'Carry-On' style gesture.

Travis is accused of cornering the woman while she was smoking saying it was bad for her 'poor little lungs' before stroking her rib cage and squeezing her breasts.

The alleged victim, who cannot be named, she 'froze' after Travis used her for his 'weird sexual thrill’.

BBC News reports that Gorman told Southwark Crown Court: ‘My recollection is that everyone in that team would have know about this, this was sort of office gossip to some extent.’

He said it was reported to producer Peter Kessler but taken no further as it would have been felt that getting police involved ‘would not have gone anywhere.’

Gorman added: ‘There were questions about whether it had been a sort of Carry On film “Wahey!” which might be playful albeit ill-judged or whether it was aggressive, and my recollection is that it was aggressive.’

Travis denies indecent assault, saying the allegation was ‘crazy’ and that: ‘I don't like to leave people with a sour taste in their mouth’.

The trial continues.

Published: 10 Sep 2014