'I'M AN ADULTERER'.

Byline: By DVID JAMES South Wales Echo

A father accused of groping a teenager was forced in court to admit adultery with a different woman.

The revelation came on the second day of businessman John Currell's trial at Cardiff Crown Court for a charge of indecent assault on a 16-year-old girl - an allegation he denies.

Giving evidence for the first time yesterday, the 43-year-old admitted lying to police when he was first questioned.

The married property owner said he had gone into the girl's house after giving her a lift home - and said he spent six hours there. But he denied inviting himself in at 11.30pm on January 5 or touching her inappropriately.

Instead, Currell said the girl came out to his black BMW X5 with a bottle of liqueur and asked him in for a drink.

He said he had only stayed outside to call his mistress after checking to see that the teenager, who cannot be named, had gone inside safely.

'I always call her [the mistress] to say goodnight if I have seen her that evening,' said Currell, of Portland Place, Lisvane, Cardiff.

'The girl came out and asked if I would like to come in for a drink.

'She looked a bit sad and I wasn't sure if she was uncomfortable on her own, so I said I would.'

He denied the teenager's allegation that he lay on her bed and asked her to play a 'five-minute game' after telling her she was pretty enough to be a topless model. She says he then picked her up and touched her back and breasts.

But Currell told the jury she had tried to entertain him with videos, music, a fashion show and photos.

(proceeding)