A PASSER-BY 'grabbed' an 11-year old girl, sexually assaulting her, while walking along a town centre street on his lunch break, a court heard.

Christopher Gray is charged with one count of sexual assault of a child alleged to have taken place at London Road, Chipping Norton, on August 1 last year.

The 19-year old, of Farnborough Road, Birmingham, claims that the alleged assault was 'an everyday accident' and denies any wrong-doing.

Outlining the case at the start of the trial at Oxford Crown Court on Monday prosecutor Miles Trigg told jurors: "The crown say the defendant, a pedestrian, touched [the victim] over her jeans in the area of her vagina.

"The crown's case is this was not a brush, it was a grab.

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"This was no accident, this was designed and intentional sexual touching."

Jurors were told that sometime after 1pm the alleged victim was walking with another girl in Chipping Norton with the intention of getting a milkshake from Tickittyshake.

At the same time, Mr Trigg said, Gray was on his lunch break and spotted the two girls.

Noticing them, prosecutors claim, he walked in front of them before suddenly wheeling around 'grabbing' one of the girls, sexually assaulting her.

The next day, the court heard, he was again in Chipping Norton and the girls - who were then with an adult - recognised him.

Jurors heard of a brief confrontation in which the woman took photographs of the man and he allegedly said the collision was an 'accident.'

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The court was also shown a recorded police interview with the alleged victim - who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Explaining what she claims happened she said Gray had 'grabbed' her adding it was 'not hard' saying: "He didn't go under, it was just on, it was not under."

She told police that afterwards she felt 'really shocked' and she ran to the milkshake shop in a panic.

Staff were then told what had allegedly happened and the girl's parents were contacted.

Gray, meanwhile, maintains his innocence and as the trial continued yesterday he took to the witness box to deny any wrong-doing.

He told jurors he had never grabbed the girl and called the alleged assault a 'bump'.

He said: "I thought it was an everyday accident. I thought nothing of it after that until the next day."

Gray told jurors that he had been working as a labourer in the town at the time and was on his way to the Co-Op store to get some lunch.

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He said he was holding a bottle in his left hand at the time and claimed he was on the phone with his right hand. He said that he would often phone his mother and that they were taking about 'housing' at the time of the incident.

Jurors were also told that after the collision Gray apologised.

Thames Valley Police went on to release an appeal for information to try and locate Gray following the allegation.

The court heard yesterday how once Gray became aware of this appeal he handed himself in before later denying the charge.

The trial continues.