Rolf Harris’ daughter smashed paintings, jury told

Rolf Harris daughter Bindi arrives at Southwark Crown Court. Picture: Reuters

The entertainer’s daughter, Bindi, accused Harris over the phone of sexually molesting her friend and was so furious that she “smashed up” paintings he had given to her, Southwark Crown Court in London heard yesterday.

Harris denies 12 counts of indecent assault between 1968 and 1986, seven of which relate to his daughter’s friend.

The alleged victim claims he first assaulted her when she was 13 while on holiday, but he has told the court they had a consensual sexual relationship that did not start until she was 18.

On his third day in the witness box, the 84-year-old was questioned about his daughter’s furious reaction when she heard about the allegations, which he said came while he was overseas.

Prosecutor Sasha Wass QC asked the star: “Bindi was beside herself?” He replied: “I suppose so, yes.”

TV favourite Harris admitted on Wednesday that he admired his daughter’s 13-year-old friend sexually while on holiday, and admitted having a “darker side” alongside his public persona.

He was asked by the prosecutor if his “slow walk” into court, with his wife Alwen on one arm and Bindi on the other, was “just for the cameras”, to which he replied: “It’s to show support.”

Ms Wass suggested yesterday there was a “common theme” among the allegations, which included claims that Harris preyed on women as he met them in his public role, abused them after an originally friendly gesture, assaulted them while they could not get away, did it while people were nearby, and afterwards behaved as if nothing had happened. But the star dismissed all of the allegations against him as lies.

Harris denied that his earlier claim that the woman asked him for £25,000 was an “attempt to discredit” her and her family, and denied also trying to “vilify” alleged victim Tonya Lee.

Ms Lee, who has waived the usual right to anonymity given to alleged sex offence victims, claims Harris touched her when she travelled to Britain from Australia for a tour in 1986.

Harris told the court he accused Ms Lee of making up the allegation because her story “didn’t hold water”.

Lonneke Broadribb, 49, a friend of Bindi, told the court they had been friends at primary school, continuing into their teens.

Miss Broadribb told the court that she had met the friend who claims Harris indecently assaulted her, but only knew her through Bindi.

She described her as “friendly, happy – she wasn’t my friend, she was Bindi’s friend, but she seemed very nice”.

Miss Broadribb described the Harris family as “warm with each other, very loving, very cuddly, very giggly”. The case  continues.