MP ON TRIAL: Complainant's statements over sex assault fail to match up, defence counsel claims

The man, who was 15 at the time of the alleged attack, continued to give evidence at the trial of Imran Ahmad Khan on day three of his trial at Southwark Crown Court this morning.

It is alleged the MP touched the boy while the youngster lay in his top bunkbed, following a house party in Staffordshire in January 2008.

Jurors were told the boy had given a statement to the police in the hours after the alleged incident, but said he did not want to pursue the matter because of the trauma.

But after learning that Khan was planning to stand in the election of 2019, he contacted the police again, and gave subsequent statements in 2019 and then in 2021.

Continuing her cross examination this morning, defence counsel Ms Gudrun Young QC she said a "wealth" of detail he told police in 2008 was not included in the account he gave in 2021.

Details included him being allegedly dragged up the stairs by Khan, having his pet cat taken from him by Khan, playfighting with Khan, being pushed on the bed by him, being forced to drink gin by Khan, who is alleged to have continually pushed the drink towards his face.

She said: "You told them (the police) all sorts of things you said in 2008 that do do not match.

"You have been elaborating and embellishing."

But the man denied this, saying he had blocked out many of the memories or suppressed them naturally, and maintained he had no reason to lie.

Khan, 48, denies a charge of sexual assault.

The trial continues.

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