Joseph McCann trial: Alleged rapist 'threatened to chop up girls'

An alleged serial rapist threatened to "chop up" two 14-year-old girls who he snatched off a street in Greater Manchester, a court has heard.

Joseph McCann is accused of stealing a Fiat car belonging to a 71-year-old woman and then forcing the girls into the vehicle on 5 May.

The Old Bailey was shown CCTV of him buying petrol and a pack of condoms at a garage while they waited in the car.

Mr McCann, 34, of Harrow, London, denies 37 offences against 11 victims.

The jury heard a petrol attendant who served the defendant in the Shell garage thought he appeared to be "angry, nervous and in a rush".

After leaving the garage, Mr McCann was spotted by a police patrol who were already on the look-out for the vehicle.

PC Michael Jennings saw two girls in the back and one of them appeared "terrified" while the other raised a hand to attract attention, the Old Bailey heard.

Dashcam footage of the subsequent police chase was played in court which showed the Fiat going the wrong way around a roundabout and colliding with a bronze Mercedes.

Despite being damaged it carried on at speeds of up to 60mph (97km/h) in a 40mph (97km/h) zone, the court was told.

Jurors heard Mr McCann then abandoned the car, leaving the two girls by the road, and was later seen on CCTV running past a man who was cleaning a driveway.

He was then seen riding a bicycle having swapped his T-shirt and later he got a taxi from a restaurant in Stoke, which was stopped by police.

At 20:40 BST, Mr McCann was seen running through a field, having fled from the taxi when he was challenged by an officer.

He was finally arrested after climbing a tree, the court has heard.

Mr McCann, who was not in court, is charged with the following offences against women and children aged 11 to 71, between 20 April and 5 May this year:

The trial continues.