West Bay man denies being sexual prowler
Josh Alexander Bodden
(CNS): Josh Alexander Bodden has denied “being on the prowl” as he rode around West Bay in the early morning hours on the day the crown says he committed a sexual assault. Questioned by crown prosecutor Nicole Petite Tuesday after taking the stand in his own defence, the West Bay man told the court that he was having an affair with the woman who has accused him of the sex crimes, and that she has lied.
Bodden said that on the morning in question he did not hit her, threaten her or force her to have sex but had enjoyed a conversation while walking the dogs and some foreplay with her before returning home.
His testimony followed that of a police officer, who described the arrival of the victim and her husband at the West Bay Police Station on the day of the alleged attack in October last year. She said that the woman had sustained a cut above her eye, which was still bleeding, and she made a report about a sexual attack on the beach at Barkers.
When Bodden took the stand, however, he told a very different story.
Referring to the woman fondly by her Christian name and recounting alleged conversations they had together at Kelly’s bar on several other occasions when they went to the beach together to have sex, Bodden claimed that they were having an occasional affair for some seven months.
He said that when he was arrested, he had denied the encounter because he was also married with a child and did not want his wife to know about the affair as it could cost him his family. But he said that after his arrest he told her the truth about the sexual relationship.
The victim has said she knew Bodden vaguely because she and her husband were very friendly with Bodden’s uncle. She has denied the affair and has accused Bodden of indecently assaulting her by forcing her to have oral sex with him, attempting to rape her, slapping her to the ground and injuring her eye, punching her and threatening her life.
When she gave evidence the woman said that on the morning of the attack, she encountered him by chance as she walked her dogs and then walked and talked with him, even sharing a nip of rum. She said she felt safe and comfortable with him until they arrived at Barkers beach, when he turned violent.
But Bodden claimed that they had arranged to meet that morning and they had walked together to the beach, where they drank lots of rum. He said that they were smooching and kissing and rubbed up against each other, but they did not have “oral or any sex” that morning as he was not in the mood. He said he had moved to leave because it was becoming light and did not want people to see them.
He said he walked ahead of her but when he turned back to look, she was on the floor. He went back to help her up and saw the cut on her eye. He said there was a tree stump and rock nearby in the bushes and he assumed she had fallen.
Bodden said he told her to go to the hospital because of the cut on her eye, which she dismissed as nothing, so he said he had to leave. As he turned to go, he said she threatened to say that he had attacked her and tried to rape her if he did not come back. Not believing her, Bodden said he carried on heading home.
He denied suggestions by the crown that he was making up the claims of an affair and that it was all in his imagination, as he persisted in his claims that the two were having a relationship.
The case continues.
