THE jury in the trial of a man accused of the systematic sexual abuse of a child was today told: "You are the most important people in his life."

As the case of Reginald Styles drew to an end, his barrister Rod Hunt made his closing speech to the panel of seven men and five women this afternoon.

Mr Hunt lauded the country's criminal justice system, but questioned what he called the "we will believe you" attitude of the police to sex allegations.

And he said there was never any mention on school records of physical problems which might be associated with being abused or beaten with a stick.

The accuser - a married mother now, but a child at the time - said the repeated rapes and sexual assaults four decades ago seemed "normal" to her.

It was not until she got older that she realised it was wrong and fought back against Mr Styles, the jury at Teesside Crown Court was told.

When she reported things to the police two years ago, she claimed she was beaten with a bamboo pole with electrical tape on when she refused his demands.

Prosecutor Paul Cleasby said in his closing speech that the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave a "graphic and detailed account".

But Mr Hunt, defending, told the jury: "It is almost outrageous to say it, but it is not a story based in truth . . . people do make stories up.

"You may think there is a hearing gap in the evidence when a child who claims to have been raped that there is nothing in her medical records about it.

"There is a complete absence of any medical evidence, a complete absence in the records of any complaint to a teacher, a doctor, a parent.

"There is nothing, in my submission, which supports her case. The absence of those things support, in my submission, the defendant's case."

Mr Styles, now 70, of Thetford Road, Hartlepool, denies six charges of indecency with a child, four counts of rape and three of indecent assault.

Mr Cleasby said he "emotionally manipulated" the youngster, by telling her people close to her would die if she ever revealed what had happened.

Judge Stephen Ashurst is expected to conclude his summing up of the case some time after 2pm, when the jury will retire to consider its verdicts.