Man accused of ill-treating 11-year-old says it's a conspiracy

The Bradford man, who described himself to the jury as a reformed football hooligan, said he had never hit a child.

“I have never mistreated any child on this earth – I wouldn’t,” he said.

The man, in his 40s, denies cruelty to the boy by wilful ill-treatment between September 1, 2007, and September last year. The boy’s mother, in her 20s, pleads not guilty to cruelty by neglect.

The Crown alleges she turned a blind eye while her son was bullied and humiliated by her boyfriend.

Prosecutor Patrick Palmer told the jury at Bradford Crown Court the boy was forced to take a cold shower on his birthday and was turned naked into the street.

Mr Palmer alleged the man rapped the youngster on the head with his knuckles, whacked him with a sandal, bent his leg back, twisted his arm and called him names.

The boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, rang ChildLine to say he was being abused.

The boy’s mother says she never saw the man assault him.

The man, who has children of his own, told the jury yesterday he and the boy’s mother were still together.

He disciplined the child only when his mother asked him for help.

He said the boy could be cheeky, throw tantrums and stamp round the house. The man said he gave the boy money for his birthday, not the cold shower alleged by the prosecution.

He described his relationship with him as “brilliant” and said they exchanged football banter and went to matches.

The man said the boy wanted to be the man around the house and the centre of attention.

He had to chase him up the street when he ran from the house partially clothed but he had never seen him naked.

The man told the jury he believed the boy’s grandmother put him up to making the allegations.

Mr Palmer put it to him: “You regarded him from first to last as the bad one, the evil one, that you’d scapegoat.”

The man replied: “I do not think he is evil. I think he needs a bit of help.”

The trial continues.