A former Metropolitan police officer has gone on trial accused of sexually abusing three young girls in York more than 20 years ago.
George Thomson-Smith, 89, is charged with a string of sexual offences including indecently assaulting a girl under 13 years of age and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Mr Thomson-Smith, a churchgoer from York, appeared for the first day of his trial at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday (13 April) after pleading not guilty to 12 separate charges – some of them “multiple-incident” counts.
David Hall, opening the case for the prosecution, said the alleged offences occurred in York between March 2002 and July 2006 when Mr Thomson-Smith was living in Acomb.
He said that the former Met Police officer and his wife, an ex-teacher, were worshippers at their parish church in Askham Bryan and had been members of Anglican churches in and around Acomb.
Mr Hall said that one of the girls was repeatedly sexually assaulted between 2002 and 2003 when she was barely in her teens.
He said that Mr Thomson-Smith sexually assaulted the girl by touching her on intimate parts of her body.
Another, younger girl was also sexually assaulted on several occasions around the same period, added Mr Hall.
The prosecution alleges that a third, even younger girl, was also repeatedly sexually assaulted between 2006 and 2009.
Mr Thomson-Smith, now of Hallcroft Lane, Copmanthorpe, is also accused of inciting that same girl to engage in sexual activity on no less than four occasions during the same period.
The prosecution alleges that the incitement involved Mr Thomson-Smith urging the girl to touch his private parts.
Arrested in 2010
Mr Hall told the jury that one of the girls came forward to police in 2010, alleging that Mr Thomson-Smith had sexually abused her eight years previously.
She said that she could hear Mr Thomson-Smith’s “heavy breathing” before he sexually assaulted her.
“He would never say anything to her (while allegedly sexually assaulting her),” added Mr Hall.
Following those disclosures, Mr Thomson-Smith was arrested and brought in for questioning about the girl’s allegations.
He denied the allegations and the Crown Prosecution Service decided to take no further action against him at the time.
However, in November 2021, a second girl came forward to police and alleged that she had been sexually abused by Mr Thomson-Smith and said she was “made to touch him inappropriately”.
In March 2022, a third girl told police that Mr Thomson-Smith had sexually assaulted her on several occasions by touching her on intimate parts of her body.
Following these latter two disclosures, police reopened the case of the girl who was the first to come forward to the authorities 16 years ago. Mr Thomson-Smith was arrested again and denied all allegations.
He was charged with 12 separate offences against the three girls including ten counts of sexual or indecent assault and two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Some of these alleged offences were said to have occurred on no less than three or four occasions, which the prosecution calls “specimen” counts because they allegedly occurred on multiple occasions.
Defence barrister Tania Griffths KC told the jury that Mr Thomson-Smith was “in his 90th year” and used to be a Metropolitan police officer.
She said that he and his wife were “what sometimes are termed as do-gooders in the community, reaching out to help people in need”.
She said that Mr Thomson-Smith was “not guilty” of all the charges.
None of the three complainants, who are now adults, can be named for legal reasons.
The trial continues.
