Child sex abuse trial: 'Karen MacGregor used Shelley Davies as a guise'

Prosecutor Ms Michelle Colborne put the accusation to the 59-year-old defendant – who is charged with four offences including conspiracy to rape, and conspiracy to procure a woman to become a common prostitute – during cross-examination at the ongoing child abuse trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

Ms Colborne said MacGregor exploited her co-accused Shelley Davies, used her to lure other girls in to her home and was a “guise to legitimise the arrangement”.

Ms Colborne said MacGregor knew Davies had been sexually exploited by taxi drivers as a teenager and she “exploited that.”

“That’s why you brought her into your home, you used her, and she together with you, helped you keep girls there,” said Ms Colborne.

MacGregor denied it and said they were like a family unit.

Ms Colborne added: “You were involved in cheque book fraud and you were pimping out girls, that was a source of income to you.”

MacGregor replied: “No it wasn’t, I’m a woman, what sort of woman does that?

The defendant added: “I have not hurt anybody, I love everybody, animals and everything.”

Ms Colborne asked why would women who have lived at her home, two of whom are complainants, “stab her in the back” and make the accusations.

MacGregor said she did not know and did not even know one of the complainants who claimed she lived with her, but accepted she was the Kaz who called at St Edmund's children's home in 1993 to see the girl.

MacGregor said: “The reason I am accepting it, I don’t recall the incident, you said it happened and that’s the sort of thing I would do.” 

Ms Colborne asked why would the defendant involve herself with going to children’s care homes, she answered: “Why not? I like helping people.”

Ms Colborne asked why would social care records show the girl was frightened of Kaz.

She replied: “I’ve no idea, I’ve no idea why she’s made these allegations.”

The record also showed Kaz sent a young girl to the door of the children’s home first, Ms Colborne said this was her attempt to legitimise her presence.

She said: “You sent her to make you look personable, acceptable, some kind of kind aunt.”

MacGregor said: “I can’t recall going to the children’s home, I can’t recall this girl, I was going to have a hypnotist but was told not to.”

Ms Colborne said there was another note on a West Coast Children’s home record that said the girl had gone missing and had been found at Quarry Street where she said she had stayed for some of the time.

MacGregor said she did not have any recollection of the girl being at her Quarry Street address.

Ms Colborne said the documentation supported the complainant.

She added: “They support the fact all these years ago that you were involved in her life.”

MacGregor said she worked a lot and the girl could have visited her home when she was out.

Ms Colborne said on July 9, 1994 the girl made a complaint MacGregor and co-accused Shelley Davies assaulted her when she was 14-years-old.

MacGregor said she would never hurt anybody, but admitted to biting a security guard at Meadowhall, an offence she was convicted of assault for in 2001.

Ms Colborne said she assaulted the girl because she thought she was going to “grass her up” for cheque book fraud.

The court has previously heard MacGregor has two convictions of obtaining property by deception in 1986 and 1994. 

The prosecutor called her a “thoroughly dishonest woman” and said she let Arshid Hussain into her home to have sex with the child.

MacGregor said Hussain had never been to her house.

Ms Colborne criticised MacGregor for “smirking” and “giggling” when asked about the Meadowhall assault, the defendant said it was because she was embarrassed by it.

“Everything you talk about you portray yourself as the victim, while in fact you are the aggressor,” Ms Colborne added.

Ms Colborne said that MacGregor had described the organisation she set up, Kin Kids, as a charity, but it did not have charitable status.

The defendant said it was due to get the status but Lottery funding was pulled when she was arrested.

Ms Colborne said: “You are trying to portray things better than they are.”

MacGregor denies all the charges, the trial continues.