“I DON’T go around touching people,” said the owner of Cowley Road's Hi Lo Jamaican Eating House restaurant who is on trial accused of sexually assaulting two women.

Hugh ‘Andy’ Anderson, 74, of Cowley Road, gave evidence during his trial at Oxford Crown Court on Wednesday (April 10) after pleading not guilty to two counts of sexual assault by touching.

It is alleged that he touched two different women over their clothing, one of whom was said to have been sexually assaulted on April 23 and the other on May 1, 2022.

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Both incidents are alleged to have taken place at his restaurant in the early hours of the morning.

Giving evidence from the stand, Anderson said he did not touch the women and that they were ‘working with each other’ to accuse him.

He said: “She is lying. It’s the same pack of people accusing me. It’s the same bunch of people. They are working for each other, they are working together, that’s plain.” [sic]

Oxford Mail: Hugh ‘Andy’ AndersonHugh ‘Andy’ Anderson (Image: NQ)

When the prosecution pointed out that the women, who cannot be named for legal reasons, do not know each other, Anderson said: “Alright.”

The barrister asked whether he was accusing the complainants of lying.

Anderson said: “I don’t know if I can say they are lying, they just see things differently.

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“If they said I assaulted them they are telling an abomination lie.” [sic]

The barrister told Anderson the women ‘are not telling lies’ but Anderson appeared to get upset as he said: “It’s such an easy thing to do.

“Footballers, actors, touching, touching, touching, the amount that it is going on. Listen man, this is rubbish.

“They may be telling the truth but it’s not about me. These are my hands I use to eat my food, putting it near your nasty body, you must be joking.

“You’re getting me upset and I don’t think that’s right.” [sic]

Earlier in the trial, the first woman claimed the restaurateur had touched her after she bought him a drink.

She said: “He just touched me. I’ve never been touched like that in my life.”

The second woman claimed Anderson had started a conversation with her but groped her when he asked to come closer.

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She said: “"I stepped forward to hear him and then he put his hand around the back of my bum and then he shoved it up and then he groped me.

"He kept saying, 'F*** me' and I stepped back and pretended I couldn't hear him – and I kept saying sorry."

Anderson has bail during the trial which continues this week.