Max Clifford begins giving evidence

26 March 2014 Last updated at 15:01

Max Clifford: Paedophile claims 'revolting, disgusting lies'

Mr Clifford denies 11 counts of indecent assault

Max Clifford has said allegations he was a paedophile are "utterly revolting, utterly untrue disgusting lies".

The publicist told his trial that he had helped expose convicted paedophiles Gary Glitter and Jonathan King.

He also said he went to sex parties when he was younger, but had never had sex with a woman without her consent.

Mr Clifford denies 11 counts of indecent assault relating to seven alleged victims, aged from 14 to 20.

The alleged incidents are said to have happened between 1966 and 1984.

'Contradictory' evidence

Mr Clifford, 70, from Hersham, Surrey, is giving evidence for the first time in his trial.

Addressing the jury, defence barrister Richard Horwell QC said they had only heard one side of the story.

Mr Horwell also cast doubt on evidence given so far, saying "details" had "caught out" the prosecution witnesses.

Setting out his case for the defence, he outlined the prosecution witnesses' "contradictory" evidence relating to the size of Mr Clifford's penis.

He said the evidence from the seven accusers about its size ranged from "freakishly small" to "enormous" and, as such, none could be relied upon.

"None of these four witnesses is correct," said Mr Horwell. "That's because Mr Clifford has an average-sized penis. That will be his evidence."

'Repulsive'

Earlier in the month the trial heard from a prosecution witness who claimed that Mr Clifford had indecently assaulted her in his car after meeting her at a Wimpy restaurant.

But giving evidence on Wednesday, Mr Clifford denied spending time in Wimpy in 1966, and said that at the time he did not have a car and could not drive.

Earlier the court heard extracts from police interviews with Mr Clifford when he was first questioned after his arrest in December 2012.

During those interviews when police asked what sort of sexual activity had occurred in Mr Clifford's office, he said: "Slap and tickle, kissing and cuddling, I might have had oral sex occasionally."

He also said he had "never forced" himself on anyone, and was "never into young girls".

He told police that he "didn't need a casting couch", and that the 60s, 70s and 80s had been an "active time".

The jury also heard that when he was confronted over a claim he had sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl in a Jacuzzi in Spain - which is not part of this trial as the alleged offence happened abroad - Mr Clifford said: "It's repulsive, it's totally untrue."

The trial continues.