A WOMAN who alleges she was the victim of sexual abuse as a girl, told police she blotted it out in her mind for 40 years, a court was told today.

The witness was speaking in interview with police in November 2014, after they approached her about events from her childhood in the 1970s.

She is one of two alleged victims of farm labourer John Regan, who is on trial accused of raping and carrying out other sex assaults on the two women, aged in the nine to 14 bracket at the time.

Durham Crown Court was played the woman’s recorded interview with police from two years ago, during which she was asked about the alleged abuse.

She said it began with the defendant touching her over her clothing, but said it was not long before he progressed under her clothing and to penetrative sex.

Questioned as to the number of times the abuse took place, she said: “I can’t say exactly..

“It was several times, somewhere between three and ten.

“I have shut all this out, put it in the past and left it.

“It’s been hard to open up something you have purposefully shut away and put away in a box, 40 years ago.”

But she said once she began to be asked about what took place some memories were re-emerging in her mind.

Although the other alleged victim told the court in evidence that she was told to say nothing about what went on or he would kill her and her parents, the second complainant said Regan, who at that time was in his 20s, was “never threatening” to her.

“I don’t remember being scared. It was like it was something you were expected to do.

“As a child you trusted adults. I was brought up in a world where you trusted adults.”

Asked if she had ever revealed what took place, she told police: “My husband knows something happened, but I have not named who did it, until recently.

“I never told anyone the name.”

Now in her 50s, she said she had not spoken to the other alleged victim since she was about 14 and would not now recognise her in the street.

When arrested the defendant denied the allegations and said the girls were lying, suggesting he had been been, “set up”.

Mr Regan, of High Etherley, near Bishop Auckland, denies four counts each of rape and indecent assault, plus three of indecency with a child.

The trial continues on Monday.