This is Cornwall --A BUGLE man has gone on trial, accused of raping a girl and indecently assaulting another.
Steven Crump, of Fore Street is also charged with wilful assault and one charge of wilful ill-treatment of another child.
Truro Crown Court was told this week how the 38-year-old allegedly raped a girl and then accused her of being a murderer when she had an abortion.
Crump, who denies all charges, is also accused of telling the girl that if she told anyone about what he was doing, her mother would hate her and she would be taken into care.
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court that he raped her on countless occasions. Llewelyn Sellick, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the victim of the alleged rapes became pregnant.
He said: "He (Crump) started to say he wanted to make her pregnant.
"She did indeed become pregnant."
The girl told her mother but said that a boy from school was the father, making up a name and she underwent an abortion.
Mr Sellick said: "Beforehand the defendant told her she was a murderer; she was murdering his child and was telling her to keep the baby."
He described the first time Crump raped the girl and how shortly afterwards he accused her of not being a virgin.
"She said of course...she did not have a boyfriend.
"He said that if she said anything her mum would hate her, she would be on her own and would be taken into care. She believed him."
The offences are alleged to have taken place between 1998 and 2002.
A former partner of Crump's also gave evidence, describing how Crump was "controlling and manipulative" claiming he pushed her over a wall when she was about eight months' pregnant carrying his child.
Rupert Taylor, for the defence, said the allegations had not been proved.
He said: "You have been told about people's character. The prosecution say to you Mr Crump is a short-tempered, vicious, violent abuser but as the (police) officer told you, he is a man of 38 with no previous convictions, cautions, warnings or official reprimands."
Crump denies all 13 charges. He said he had never raped anyone and while he knew about the girl getting pregnant, it was not his baby.
He said: "It is made up. I never had sex with (her)."
In conclusion Mr Taylor said: "If it were you in the dock and you had not committed an (historic) offence and your defence barrister did not have a handy time machine to take the jury back, what would you say other than, 'I didn't do it'?"
The jury retired to consider its verdict yesterday as the Cornish Guardian went to press. Reported by This is 20 hours ago.