DJ Travis 'an opportunist' who assaulted 'vulnerable' women

DJ Dave Lee Travis indecently assaulted a 19-year-old woman during a recording of Top Of The Pops, a court has heard.

The 68-year-old was an “opportunist” who assaulted “vulnerable” young women, Southwark Crown Court was told.

The former Radio One DJ, whose real name is David Patrick Griffin, allegedly assaulted women while working as a disc jockey, acting in pantomimes and even at the opening of a hospital radio station. In one incident at a local radio station, the jury of eight women and four men was told a woman went “ballistic” after the DJ allegedly forced his thumb into her underwear.

Travis, from Buckinghamshire, is charged with 13 counts of indecent assault between 1976 and 2003, and one count of sexual assault in 2008. He denies all the charges.

Dressed in a light brown blazer, black shirt and patterned tie, he listened to the proceedings with the aid of headphones.

Opening the Crown’s case, prosecutor Miranda Moore QC showed the jury a short clip of Top Of The Pops from 1978, in which it is alleged Travis is starting to assault a woman. The 19-year-old had travelled to the show with a friend and alleges Travis put his hand up her skirt to “touch her bum”.

The presenter is flanked by two women in the clip, one of whom is said to be the alleged victim.

Her friend “remembers her being angry and upset and saying this defendant had put his hand up her skirt”, the court heard.

Travis was arrested under Scotland Yard’s Operation Yewtree, which was prompted by abuse claims involving the late Jimmy Savile, the court heard.

Earlier in the day, Ms Moore said women had come forward from “all parts of the United Kingdom” with similar allegations against Travis.

Three counts relate to two women who worked at Chiltern FM between 2000 to 2003.

Travis worked as a DJ at Chiltern, Ms Moore said, and was “sexually assaulting” one woman and other colleagues on a “regular basis”.

During one alleged incident, one of the women had just started and was being shown round Travis’s studio, the court heard.

Ms Moore said: “He embraced her in a bear hug and then rubbed up and down the left side of her breasts.”

In a separate incident with the same woman, Travis allegedly rubbed her on the thigh and slipped his thumb into her knickers, Ms Moore said.

“It appears this is the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Ms Moore said. “She went ballistic.”

The woman shouted out in front of other members of staff: “Don’t touch me, you’re a pervert”.

The trial continues.