Barry man denies using wife as 'bait' to exploit teens

Avril and Peter Griffiths have denied a string of charges from the 1980s and 90s

A man has denied using his wife as "bait" to exploit teenagers.

Peter Griffiths, 65, and Avril Griffiths, 61, from Barry, deny a string of charges from the 1980s and 90s.

Complainants have previously told Cardiff Crown Court they were "dressed up" by Mrs Griffiths in her clothes.

Caroline Rees, prosecuting, said: "This was a partnership in sexual exploitation, each of you with your own part to play." Mr Griffiths said: "no".

Their trial has previously heard the couple were known as "the Fred and Rose West" of their estate in the Vale of Glamorgan seaside town.

On Thursday the court heard Mr Griffiths describe his relationship with his wife as "brilliant", and said she was his first love.

He said he met her when she was 13 or 14.

Jurors heard he found her "sexually attractive" when she was 14, and that she was pregnant at 15. She was taken into care around that time.

Mr Griffiths said he was a "totally different person" now, and denied being someone who always had an interest in girls of the ages of 13, 14, or 15.

The three alleged victims were children at the time of the abuse and Ms Rees said they were all "vulnerable".

Peter and Avril Griffiths are on trial at Cardiff Crown Court

She asked: "Is that your type Mr Griffiths, vulnerable and alone?" He denied this.

Mr Griffiths said he would not describe himself or Avril as a "sexually driven couple", despite Ms Rees reminding him of their swinging, dogging, sexual photographs and "frolicking in foursomes" in homemade pornographic films.

Mr Griffiths replied: "It was one film".

The court has heard that one complainant alleged she was raped by Mr Griffiths in a van he owned in a car park used for "dogging".

Mr Griffiths said that he and his wife "wanted to spice up" their sex life and denied having sex with one of the complainants with people watching.

The trial is being held at Cardiff Crown Court

Jurors previously heard Mr Griffiths ran fishing trips. On Thursday he told the court he was the only one who handled fishing trips for police officers, and said he was the "police officers' contact".

But he denied "pimping" girls out to his friends and he denied raping two girls.

He told the court that he had taken photos of one of them that could then be sold, saying that "she asked me, I didn't ask her".

He denied grooming by offering alcohol and cigarettes, and said that he had never had sex with her.

He said of another girl "I never touched that child."

Insufficient evidence

Earlier in proceedings, the foreman of the jury was directed by the judge to find the defendants not guilty on count 11, an allegation that they took indecent photographs of a child.

The court heard there was now insufficient evidence to support the allegation.

Avril Griffiths has denied five charges of rape, two charges of taking an indecent photograph of a child and two charges of indecent assault.

Peter Griffiths faces eight charges of rape, two counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child and a further three indecent assault charges.

The trial continues.