Ex-BBC presenter Julie Wadsworth's lawyer says "it's unusual to have sex with people half your age unless you're Joan Collins"

The radio presenter and her husband are accused of encouraging seven boys to take part in sexual activity

ByKara O'NeillJosh Payne

18:55, 5 JUN 2017
Updated20:36, 5 JUN 2017

News

Julie Mayer and Tony Wadsworth arrive at the Warwickshire Justice Centre (Photo: SWNS.com)

The lawyer of a former BBC radio presenter accused of encouraging seven boys to take part in sexual activity has said that it's unusual to have sex with people half your age "unless you are Joan Collins or the President of France."
Julie Wadsworth, 60, and her husband Tony Wadsworth, 69, are accused of encouraging seven boys to take part in sexual activity from 1992 to 1996.
Today Mrs Wadsworth's lawyer said it was "unusual" to have relations with men half your age.
He then went on to say although some may find her actions as "abhorrent" she was being tried for "criminal offences not her morals."
Mr Wadsworth's defence barrister described the couple's sexual experiences in the bushes in woodlands near Atherstone golf course as "their own private moment" and not the actions of a "seedy Soho club."

Julie Wadsworth lawyer said it was unusual to have relations with people half your age (Photo: Aaron Chown/SWNS.com)

Jurors were also told Mrs Wadsworth was a "professional public figure" and not the "salacious and predatory" woman she had been painted out to be.
Instead she had merely been "foolhardy" and "stupid" after being "flattered by the thought that young men found her attractive", it was claimed.

The golf club near the woodlands where the radio presenters were accused of engaging boys in sexual activity (Photo: SWNS.com)

David Hislop QC, defending Mrs Wadsworth, said: "The prosecution seek to persuade you that this was a woman who forged her career on the twang of a stocking.
"Why are they trying to force you to have this tabloid view of Julie Wadsworth as opposed to trying her on the hard evidence?
"The calendar was an idea that was modelled off the original Calendar Girls.
"You are entitled to ask yourselves, why are the prosecution doing this?

Knob Hall, the former residence of Tony and Julie Wadsworth (Photo: SWNS.com)

"It is a cheap attempt to paint Julie Wadsworth as a salacious and predatory as opposed to a very professional public figure.
"In the case of the calendar to raise money for charity.
"One can almost hear the scraping of the bottom of the barrel by the prosecution.
"Julie Wadsworth's husband described her as damaged and you might think he is probably right.
"Not criminal, damaged, and there is a very important distinction.
"We are trying this woman on her criminal offences not her morals.
"Some may find it abhorrent that she would engage in sexual activity with men half her age.
"She was a damaged, incomplete soul because of her past.
"Unless you are Joan Collins or the President of France it is very unusual to have a relationship with a man half your age, but it does happen.

The woodland area near Atherstone golf club (Photo: SWNS.com)

"It is notoriously difficult to gauge age in the heat of the moment.
"She was flattered by the thought that young men found her attractive.
"She has undoubtedly been fool-hardy and undoubtedly been stupid but if she genuinely believed they were of age then she has a right to be found not guilty."
He told the court one of the alleged victims only had fond memories of his relationship with Mrs Wadsworth - who worked for BBC Leicester and BBC WM.
He added: "He tried to wreak revenge on a woman he was clearly obsessed with, wreak revenge because she continued to reject him.
"We have independent proof that the first time they worked together was in 1997, when he would have been 17.

Julie Wadsworth's husband described her as damaged (Photo: PA)

"The learned prosecutor got it wrong again when she said Julie Wadsworth didn't care about the age of the men.
"She was foolhardy but what she doesn't have is the propensity to have sexual contact with underage boys."
Michelle Clarke, defending Mr Wadsworth, said her client had allowed one boy into their private moment but stopped going to the woods in Atherstone, Warks., when they saw "common sense."
She added: "One thing that we can be sure about is that Tony Wadsworth adores Julie.
"Julie Wadsworth does not adore Julie Wadsworth. She trained as a dancer and part of training is to look at yourself in the mirror.
"When Tony Wadsworth met her she was damaged goods. The calendar they were part of was sanctioned by the BBC.

Mrs Wadsworth denies 12 charges of indecent assault against seven boys under 18 (Photo: SWNS.com)

"Tony met Julie by chance and he was bowled over by her. He was taking on a young mother with a young son.
"It helps her to have a bit of outdoor hanky panky as she described it. In the moment they decided to let (one of the boys) into their private moment.
"What changed was when three young men turned up, common sense kicked back in. What do they do, they stop going to the Outwoods.
"They didn't want to be in front of everyone else it was their own private moment. They didn't want to demonstrate in front of others like some seedy Soho club."
Mrs Wadsworth denies 12 charges of indecent assault against seven boys aged under 18 between September 1992 and August 1999.
Her husband denies ten charges of the same offence.
The pair also deny five counts of outraging public decency between July 1992 and June 1996.
The trial of the couple, from Broughton Astley, Leics, who are known as the Richard and Judy of local radio, continues.