A CONVICTED sex offender broke his leg and collarbone when he ‘jumped’ off a balcony to 'escape' police following a string of alleged sexual attacks, a court heard.

Paul Sowerby, known as 'Geordie', appeared in the witness box at Worcester Crown Court yesterday to deny five sexual assaults against the same woman, claiming it was her who had come onto him and at one stage offering to take a lie detector test 'right now' to prove his innocence.

The five counts are said by the prosecution to involve Sowerby touching the alleged victim's backside, grinding his groin against her, kissing her, forcing his tongue into her mouth and pushing her against a wall in January this year.

Some of the attacks were said to have been witnessed by the complainant's daughter who described him 'touching her mum's bottom'.

The 57-year-old father of Dent Close, Worcester, who has previous convictions for indecently assaulting a male inmate in prison and escaping lawful custody, claims the alleged assaults never happened. He told the jury the female complaint sexually assaulted him and had asked him where she could get crack cocaine to which he replied: "I don't touch that rubbish."

In interview Sowerby said: "I want to make a counter-allegation. That girl sexually assaulted me. She kissed me on the cheek before I pushed her away. I have got a beautiful girlfriend. Why would I want a crackhead?"

Police arrived to arrest Sowerby at a first floor flat in Dent Close, Worcester at 6.20pm on February 8 this year.

A police officer said in a statement that he knocked on the door several times and shouted 'police!' but was met with no response. When he looked through the letter box he could see the lights were on and could smell food that was either cooking or had recently been cooked.

The defendant's 22-year-old partner, Elizabeth Millington, answered the door and the officer could hear the sound of a male screaming after he ‘tried to leave the property by jumping from the first floor balcony’.

The male, identified as Sowerby, was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital where checks revealed he had suffered a broken leg and collarbone.

The 6ft 3ins plasterer appeared in the witness box where he said he had fallen off the balcony trying to see who was at the door and told the jury: "At no time did the police identify themselves."

If they he had, he said he would have answered the door. He also said he had £2,000 in the flat and there was a lot of people on the estate 'operating as bogus cops'. When examined by his barrister, Chloe Ashley, he said of the allegations made by the complainant: "What she has said in this court room is disgusting."

He added: "I would not do them sort of things to that woman." Sowerby also said the alleged victim 'wasn't my type'.

Timothy Sapwell, prosecuting, said Sowerby had 'changed his story' since his police interview. But the defendant said he had been 'high on drugs from the hospital' and had been 'coughing up blood' during the interview.

However, Mr Sapwell said there was no issue with Sowerby's fitness to be interviewed.

"You tried to escape because you knew you had done wrong" said Mr Sapwell.

"I categorically deny that" said Sowerby who insisted he had 'nothing to hide'.

Mr Sapwell put it to the defendant that he had tried to paint a picture of the complainant as 'some kind of drug-crazed nymphomaniac'.

"That's simply not true, is it?" said Mr Sapwell.

Sowerby replied that the complainant had 'glazed eyes' and was coming onto him.

"Drug-fuelled people will tell you any lies" he said.

Mr Sapwell described the defendant's previous convictions including a escaping lawful custody in 1996 and indecent assault in 2003, drawing the jury's attention to similarities between the indecent assault and the sexual assaults for which he is now on trial. Sowerby's other previous convictions, which date back to February 1980, were also put before the jury.

They include burglary, theft, obtaining property by deception, possession of an offensive weapon, obstructing a constable in the execution of his duties and criminal damage.

Sowerby told the jury 'I've changed my ways' and 'that was the old me'. He also denied the indecent assault in prison of which he stands convicted, telling the jury: "They believed his version over my version."

He said: "I will take a polygraph test. I will take it right now."

Mr Sapwell said: "You have offended again the same way you did in 2003."

Sowerby replied: "Absolutely not. I've changed my life around."

Earlier in the morning a male witness said he found the alleged victim ‘shaken’, claiming Sowerby had ‘pinned her in the corner'. She told him Sowerby tried to kiss her and grabbed her backside which left her feeling ‘shaken’ and ‘sickened’.

Under cross-examination the witness said he had not seen or heard either of the alleged assaults and ‘had to take her word’.

The trial continues.