William Roache
A woman has claimed William Roache was "cold and calculating" after allegations that he raped her in 1967, a court has heard.
The female, who is now 62, was 15 at the time of the alleged incident and also claims the 'Coronation Street' actor raped her another time later that year, with both incidents said to have taken place at his two properties in Haslingden, Lancashire, Preston Crown Court heard yesterday (16.01.14).
William, 81, "strenuously" denies all charges against him - two counts of raping a 15-year-old girl in 1967 and five counts of indecent assault involving four girls, aged from 11 to 16, between 1965 and 1968.
The jury was shown a video of the woman's police interview, which took place in March last year, in which she describes the actor as being "very cold and calculating" during the first alleged incident.
She said: "I was a bit shocked. There was no warning to anything that would have happened. There was nothing to suggest that anything improper was going to happen.
"It happened before I realised it. I didn't know what to do. I was panicking. I didn't have to fight him. He was not aggressive in any way.
"He was big, I was little. He did not kiss me, he was very cold and calculating."
Speaking about what happened afterwards, she added: "I just left. I got out. I thought it was my fault."
The woman then described the second alleged incident, which she claims happened "a few months" after the first at a different location.
The jury heard her say on the tape that she shouldn't have gone to see him on the second occasion.
She said: "I thought I was to blame, especially the second time. I was gullible, I was a kid. I would never have repeated it to anyone."
When asked by the officers to describe the allegations, she replied: "I don't know if you called it rape in them days because I was not pinned down. I was sexually abused."
The court heard the woman say she had decided to come forward after watching William - who plays Ken Barlow in 'Coronation Street' - speaking about his love life on an episode of 'Piers Morgan's Life Stories', which she said "made my skin crawl".
The trial continues.