Lady Lavinia Nourse: Former judge's widow on trial for sex abuse

The widow of a former High Court judge has gone on trial charged with the sexual abuse of a boy in the 1980s.

Lady Lavinia Nourse, of Newmarket in Suffolk, was married to Sir Martin Nourse, who died in 2017 aged 85.

The 77-year-old denies 17 counts of sexually abusing a boy under the age of 12, all related to the same male complainant.

She has gone on trial at Peterborough's Nightingale court, in the Knight's Chamber at the city's cathedral.

The charges are five counts of indecently assaulting a boy and 12 counts of indecency with a child.

Jennifer Knight QC, prosecuting, said the boy had "never told anyone" about what Lady Nourse allegedly did to him.

"He tried to bury away the memories and not to think about them," she said.

Ms Knight said that after the complainant got married and had children, he "became increasingly troubled by his recollection".

Ms Knight said the complainant told his wife what allegedly happened to him and later contacted police, with Lady Nourse first interviewed by officers in 2019.

The defendant claims the alleged incidents of abuse did not happen, Ms Knight said.

The trial continues.

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