Former world champion boxer Glenn McCrory 'grabbed' women at title fight event, court hears

Former world champion boxer Glenn McCrory touched, winked and made inappropriate comments to three young women when he was a guest speaker at an Anthony Joshua world heavyweight title fight, a court heard.

McCrory, 59, denies sexually assaulting three women at the event.

The County Durham boxer was part of the entertainment at a dinner before the bout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September 2021.

Three young women allege the County Durham boxer touched them in a sexual manner without their consent and that he was repeatedly winking at them and slurring his words.

When quizzed by police, McCrory - a cruiserweight once known as the 'Northern Warrior' - claimed his words and actions had been misunderstood and people are friendlier in the North East than in London, the jury heard.

One of his accusers said he had grabbed and stroked her arm, and used inappropriate language.

She said: "I was standing on his left and he grabbed my arm and he started stroking my arm.

"I kind of froze and he literally started stroking my arm.

"I remember freezing because he wasn’t just touching me but he was also winking and speaking."

She said that he was calling her names like “babe”, “sweets,” “darling” and “pet”, which she said made her feel uncomfortable.

The woman said she felt "dehumanised" and "violated" by McCrory’s actions.

Another young woman said when she went to his table he grabbed her forearm and started stroking her hand and wrist.

Shortly afterwards she was standing near his table again he grabbed her arm again and pulled her towards him as she struggled to free herself.

"I sort of felt targeted because it wasn’t the first time it happened," she said.

"When I recognised it was still the same guy I felt uneasy because he still wanted to make advances again.

"I did not give consent and I felt very uncomfortable by it."

The former cruiserweight, who won the IBF cruiserweight world title in June 1989, denies assaulting the women.

He claims he was annoyed because he did not get a starter and when he touched the women he was just trying to get their attention.  

Guests at the function went on to watch Joshua lose his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO belts to the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk on 26 September 2021.

County Durham-born McCrory, of Burnopfield, denies three charges of sexual assault.

The trial continues.

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