Glenn McCrory tells court woman had 'troubled reaction' to him calling her 'pet'

Former champion boxer Glenn McCrory strenuously denied sexually assaulting three women at a VIP pre-fight dinner.

McCrory, 59, was a guest speaker at the VIP function before the Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Uysk world heavyweight title bout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 26 September 2021.

He took to the stand on Wednesday 27 September to give evidence during his trial at Wood Green Crown Court, in London.

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

The County Durham-born boxer said when he arrived at the venue the member of staff who greeted him did not know who he was and said she could not find his name on the guest list.

McCrory said he had to lean down to speak to her due as she was petite and because it was noisy, but he had no recollection of touching her.

"I just leaned down. I may well have touched her elbow but I am a big guy so I would never be forceful," he told the court.

Jurors were shown CCTV footage of McCrory at the entrance to the dining hall showing him talking with one of the alleged victims.

He told jurors that he was asking her where his table was, and that he touched her elbow due to their height difference.

Scott Brady, defending, asked: "Do you think you were intending to be flirtatious?"

The ex-fighter replied: "No." He also denied winking to her.

After he had given his speech, which lasted 20-30 minutes, McCrory returned to his table.

He said he had not been given a starter, after being told one would be kept for him.

McCrory said when he tried to raise this one of the servers had a "troubled reaction" to his use of the word "pet" while speaking to her. "Everyone of the table noticed the reaction", he said.

McCrory added that in the North East the word "pet" is a term of endearment, and is often used to address young women in the same way you might address a man as "mate".

He said that when she came back to his table he tried to get her attention to ask her about his starter.

He said: "She turned her back on me as I was trying to talk to her, blatantly ignoring me, so I touched her elbow. I was trying to get her attention. She turned around and said it was in the bin."

He denied stroking her hand or arm, and insisted: "All I wanted to do was get my dinner and watch the fight."

McCrory described the quality of service as "appalling".

CCTV footage played in court showed McCrory interacting with other guests at the event.

A number of people were taking selfies with the former champion as he hugged and put his arms around them.

"You are being very tactile with these people," Mr Brady said.

McCrory agreed, adding: "If they are being friendly and I am in the right environment."

He added that this was the way he normally interacted with others at events like this, and denied there was anything sexual about it.

He also said he has poor eyesight, and has scar tissue in his eyes due to congenital problems and damage sustained during his boxing career.

This can cause him to rub his eyes and blink a lot, the court heard.

Earlier in the day, jurors heard McCrory's police interview at Wood Green police station.

In it the former boxer said he said he had no recollection of touching anuybody, but that if he had done so it would only have been to get their attention.

He described the service as "very poor" and said one server "scarpered" when he approached her to ask where the toilet was.

He also said that he was unaware anything untoward had happened that night, and that he had been "astounded" when he later received a letter from the police notifying him of the complaint.

Asked if he had intended to cause any of the alleged victims stress or alarm he replied: "Absolutely not."

Another guest seated at table near McCrory described the former boxer as looking "normal and merry".

He said he did not see McCrory touch any of the women, but that "on one occasion I saw him approach a waitress and she ran away."

The guest also described the service at the event as "shocking", and said that at one point he had to wait for 30 minutes for a drink.

The former cruiserweight, who won the IBF cruiserweight world title in June 1989, denies three charges of sexual assault.

The case continues.

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