Joseph McCann trial: Boys 'tried to fight off' alleged serial rapist

Joseph McCann denies 37 offences against 11 victims

Two boys tried to fight off an alleged serial rapist and rescue their friend who had been kidnapped, a court has heard.

A teenager told police he was walking along a Greater Manchester street with two friends - a girl and a boy - when they were stopped by Joseph McCann.

He said the defendant initially accused them of bullying his sister before driving off with the girl.

Mr McCann, 34, of Harrow, London, denies 37 offences against 11 victims.

The alleged attacks happened across London, Hertfordshire and the North West over a two-week period.

Mr McCann's trial at London's Old Bailey heard the boy, who cannot be named because of his age, told police the defendant was drinking from a bottle of wine in a car before ordering them into the vehicle.

"This guy stopped us, he said, 'Which one of you was calling my sister names and making threats to her?'," the boy said in a recorded interview.

"We said, 'We haven't, it was not us'. He told us to get into the car."

Mr McCann later told the boys to "hop out" and wait on the pavement "for five minutes", while the girl remained in the back seat of the car, the jury heard.

The witness said the defendant then told them he would stab them if they reported what had happened to police.

"He said he was keeping her hostage, then he drove off at 50mph," the boy said.

"[The girl] was just crying. We asked her if she was OK. We tried to get her out. My friend was trying to get the guy off her for at least two minutes."

The court heard a woman - who Mr McCann said was his grandmother - was in the front of the car at the time.

The trial has previously heard she was a 71-year-old shopper who was punched in the face by the defendant before being kidnapped and sexually assaulted.

The boys later raised the alarm at a nearby shop, the court was told.

Mr McCann, who was not in court, is charged with the following offences against women and children aged 11 to 71, between 20 April and 5 May this year:

• Ten counts of false imprisonment

• Seven counts of rape

• One count of rape of a child

• Two counts of causing or inciting a person to engage in sexual activity without consent

• Seven counts of kidnap

• One count of attempted kidnap

• Three counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity

• Three counts of assault by penetration

• One count of sexual assault

• Two counts of committing a sexual offence with intent

The trial continues.