Day 2, Tuesday, January 15: Prosecution opening (From The Oxford Times)
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Day 2, Tuesday, January 15: Prosecution opening
8:51am Tuesday 15th January 2013 in Bullfinch
By Ben Wilkinson, Crime Reporter. Call me on (01865) 425427
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4:28pm
Mr Lucas has finished for the day. He spent the rest of the afternoon going over what complainant 1 is expected to say.
It outlines allegations against Kamar Jamil, Akhtar Dogar, Anjum Dogar and Assad Hussain.
She said she was forced to have sex and that she saw money change hands. She also said, after one instance where she tried to avoid having sex, she was taken to Shotover Woods and told her head would be cut off unless she performed oral sex upon Jamil, the Dogars and an older man.
She was made to feel as though she was the guilty one.
A story rounding up this afternoon's speech by Mr Lucas will be online soon.
The court is not sitting tomorrow. Mr Lucas will resume his opening statement on Thursday.
2:08pm
Rest of Mr Lucas' opening from this morning.
"(This) made it less likely that anyone would be exercising any normal parental control over them or looking out for them," Mr Lucas said.
"The girls were then groomed in a variety of ways such as being given gifts or simply by being shown the care and attention that they craved.
"The attention lavished on the girls at the outset was of course entirely insincere as it was merely a device to exploit their vulnerability."
The girls were given alcohol and introduced to drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, crack cocaine and sometimes heroin, Mr Lucas said. this created a "vicious circle" that means the girls were less likely to "free themselves of the grasp of the group".
The prosecution allege the men thought even if the girls did tell anyone what was going on, it was unlikely they would be believed.
He said: "It was a lifestyle described by one of the complainants as a 'living hell' from which they could not extricate themselves."
The overall time period covered by the trial is from May 2004 until early last year.
The defendants were much older than the girls and the abuse of the girls was over a number of years he said.
Mr Lucas continued: "Many of the sexual acts committed on the girls were extreme in their depravity.
"The girls were usually given so many drugs that they were barely aware of what was going on. Indeed, they say that it was the only way they could cope with what was going on."
The girls would be taken to empty private houses or guest houses and men would come from other cities or towns - such as Leeds, Bradford, London and Slough - to specifically abuse them.
Mr Lucas said: "(It was) often by appointment with the men in Oxford who had dominated the girls."
Some of the girls were taken to other towns and cities such as London and Bournemouth for the same purpose.
Some of the allegations are of such a graphic nature, the Oxford Mail is unable to publish them.
Mr Lucas said each man had pleaded not guilty to the counts. Amongst their defences was that it was a case of mistaken identity or they reasonably believed the complainants were over the age of 16.
2:08pm
Rest of Mr Lucas' opening from this morning.
"(This) made it less likely that anyone would be exercising any normal parental control over them or looking out for them," Mr Lucas said.
"The girls were then groomed in a variety of ways such as being given gifts or simply by being shown the care and attention that they craved.
"The attention lavished on the girls at the outset was of course entirely insincere as it was merely a device to exploit their vulnerability."
The girls were given alcohol and introduced to drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, crack cocaine and sometimes heroin, Mr Lucas said. this created a "vicious circle" that means the girls were less likely to "free themselves of the grasp of the group".
The prosecution allege the men thought even if the girls did tell anyone what was going on, it was unlikely they would be believed.
He said: "It was a lifestyle described by one of the complainants as a 'living hell' from which they could not extricate themselves."
The overall time period covered by the trial is from May 2004 until early last year.
The defendants were much older than the girls and the abuse of the girls was over a number of years he said.
Mr Lucas continued: "Many of the sexual acts committed on the girls were extreme in their depravity.
"The girls were usually given so many drugs that they were barely aware of what was going on. Indeed, they say that it was the only way they could cope with what was going on."
The girls would be taken to empty private houses or guest houses and men would come from other cities or towns - such as Leeds, Bradford, London and Slough - to specifically abuse them.
Mr Lucas said: "(It was) often by appointment with the men in Oxford who had dominated the girls."
Some of the girls were taken to other towns and cities such as London and Bournemouth for the same purpose.
Some of the allegations are of such a graphic nature, the Oxford Mail is unable to publish them.
Mr Lucas said each man had pleaded not guilty to the counts. Amongst their defences was that it was a case of mistaken identity or they reasonably believed the complainants were over the age of 16.
2:08pm
Rest of Mr Lucas' opening from this morning.
"(This) made it less likely that anyone would be exercising any normal parental control over them or looking out for them," Mr Lucas said.
"The girls were then groomed in a variety of ways such as being given gifts or simply by being shown the care and attention that they craved.
"The attention lavished on the girls at the outset was of course entirely insincere as it was merely a device to exploit their vulnerability."
The girls were given alcohol and introduced to drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, crack cocaine and sometimes heroin, Mr Lucas said. this created a "vicious circle" that means the girls were less likely to "free themselves of the grasp of the group".
The prosecution allege the men thought even if the girls did tell anyone what was going on, it was unlikely they would be believed.
He said: "It was a lifestyle described by one of the complainants as a 'living hell' from which they could not extricate themselves."
The overall time period covered by the trial is from May 2004 until early last year.
The defendants were much older than the girls and the abuse of the girls was over a number of years he said.
Mr Lucas continued: "Many of the sexual acts committed on the girls were extreme in their depravity.
"The girls were usually given so many drugs that they were barely aware of what was going on. Indeed, they say that it was the only way they could cope with what was going on."
The girls would be taken to empty private houses or guest houses and men would come from other cities or towns - such as Leeds, Bradford, London and Slough - to specifically abuse them.
Mr Lucas said: "(It was) often by appointment with the men in Oxford who had dominated the girls."
Some of the girls were taken to other towns and cities such as London and Bournemouth for the same purpose.
Some of the allegations are of such a graphic nature, the Oxford Mail is unable to publish them.
Mr Lucas said each man had pleaded not guilty to the counts. Amongst their defences was that it was a case of mistaken identity or they reasonably believed the complainants were over the age of 16.
12:42pm
Some of the girls had been sexually exploited previously by other men.
"Sometimes the girls already being abused by the group were asked to find other girls for them," he said.
12:40pm
Mr Lucas said: "In general terms the evidence will show that these men, sometimes acting in groups and other times separately, actively targeted vulnerable young girls between the ages of 11 and 12 and up to 15.
"Now sometimes the men would come across the girls while the girls were out drinking or playing truant. There is evidence the men very deliberately targeted children, for that's what they were, out of control."
Thiss included children in care homes, he added.
12:00pm
Noel Lucas, the prosecutor, has opened the case, saying: "This case concerns the sexual exploitation and corruption of children - young girls - by groups of men in the Oxford area.
"These defendants, and others not before the court, used and abused the six complainants persistently, over long periods of time, sometimes in groups, for their own sexual gratification and the sexual gratification of others.
"The depravity and I use that word with care of what was done to the young complainants was extreme.
"The facts in the case will make you uncomfortable.
"Much of what the girls were forced to endure was perverted in the extreme.
"But you must nevertheless steel yourselves to listen to the evidence carefully and dispassionately.
11:59am
Noel Lucas, the prosecutor, has opened the case, saying: "This case concerns the sexual exploitation and corruption of children - young girls - by groups of men in the Oxford area.
"These defendants, and others not before the court, used and abused the six complainants persistently, over long periods of time, sometimes in groups, for their own sexual gratification and the sexual gratification of others.
"The depravity and I use that word with care of what was done to the young complainants was extreme.
"The facts in the case will make you uncomfortable.
"Much of what the girls were forced to endure was perverted in the extreme.
"But you must nevertheless steel yourselves to listen to the evidence carefully and dispassionately.
11:40am
Judge Peter Rook tells the #Bullfinch jury emotion must not play any part in their deliberations.
11:31am
It took 30 minutes to read out the 50 counts in the #Bullfinch trial. Prosecutor Noel Lucas to open his case shortly
— @TheOxfordMail 15 January 2013
11:07am
Jury in the #Bullfinch trial sworn in. Five women and seven men. The counts are now being read out
— @TheOxfordMail 15 January 2013
10:10am
Barristers and police officers beginning to assemble in court 8 of the Old Bailey for the start of the #Bullfinch trial
— @TheOxfordMail 15 January 2013
8:57am
#Bullfinch trial due to start after 10.15 with finalising the jury and prosecution opening
— @TheOxfordMail 15 January 2013
