BY LUCY CAULKETT-
Gary Glitter looked a sad disturbed figure as he broke down in court over images of child abuse for which he has admitted guilt.
The 70 year old stands accused of possessing images of child abuse found on his computer in 1997 when he went to pick up a computer he had handed in Bristol , Southwark Crown Court heard. He admitted responsibility for the disturbing images.
Sobbing before a court, the fallen idol said ”I lost my own dignity and I am so sorry. I am very sorry”. Glitter told jurors he had been in a bad place and had been struggling terribly with drugs and alcohol as well as with financial problems. When asked under cross examination why he was looking at pictures with men having sex with children, he stupidly replied ” I was in a very bad place at that time and had a lot of decisions to make about my future”. He claimed he had invested 200,000 pounds in his career and his record company and fans were demanding a lot from him.
In a stunning revelation, he said ” I was abused as a child and was trying to work his own feelings out. Today, it would not happen, I have no interest in looking at that sort of porn now. It has destroyed my life, it has destroyed my families life and it most probably have destroyed those poor victim’s lives. I have total empathy for those poor children”.
Quizzed about the allegation of attempting to rape and sexually assault a 13 year old girl in 1975, who was lying in bed with him and a friend, Glitter claimed to have no recollection of the girl and expressed shock as to why anyone would dislike him.
”I can’t say why anybody would dislike me, I did not try to rape her or any other child, I have absolutely racked my brains as to why she would say such a terrible thing”. He is also charged with four counts of indecent assault on a fan in 1977 at hotels in Leicester and Birmingham when she was 12 and 13, after using alcohol to induce her .
Glitter’s expression of surprise why anyone would dislike him is as dumb as his inclination to abuse under age girls. The fact he has admitted being in possession of child abuse images is enough for everyone to dislike him. Having broken into fame through music, a man of his age and exposure would be expected to rise above any childhood misfortunes he experienced, rather than perpetuate them. He claims not to recollect the girl in question, but strangely does not claim never to have lay in a bed with a little girl with his friend- an act that has no excuses. His cry not to be able to understand why anyone would make this up is typical of stars who think they are untouchable just because they are famous with money.
This grown man who attained the sort of fame many decent people can only dream on seems to think the high demand placed on him by fans and a record company explains his abuse of drugs or alcohol, let alone his perverse decision to view images of men having unlawful sex with children.
He is further accused of a separate girl between October 1979 and December 1980 in his dressing room at Watford. I suppose he finds it strange why that girl would accuse him too. The case continues on Monday
