Rolf Harris trial: Daughter Bindi so angry 'she banged her head against a wall'

Entertainer's daughter accused Harris over the phone of sexually molesting her friend

Rolf Harris arrives at Southwark Crown Court (Reuters)

The daughter of Rolf Harris was so "beside herself" when she discovered her father was accused of sexually abusing her friend she banged her head furiously against a wall, Southwark Crown Court has heard.

The entertainer's daughter Bindi accused Harris over the phone of sexually molesting her friend and was so furious that she "smashed up" paintings he had given to her, Southwark Crown Court in London heard.

Harris denies 12 counts of indecent assault between 1968 and 1986, seven of which relate to his daughter's friend.

She claims he assaulted her for the first time when she was 13-years-old while away on holiday, but he told the court they had a consensual sexual relationship that did not begin until she was 18.

On his third day in the witness box, the 84-year-old was questioned about his daughter's reaction when she heard about the alleged offences, which he said came while he was out of the country.

In a cross examination, Prosecutor Sasha Wass QC asked the star: "Bindi was beside herself?" He replied: "I suppose so, yes."

Ms Wass said: "(The alleged victim) had told her and she accused you of sexually abusing (the alleged victim), didn't she?"

Harris said: "Not person to person, not face to face." But when Ms Wass asked if his daughter accused him over the phone, he said: "Yes."

Ms Wass asked: "She accused you over the phone of sexually molesting (the alleged victim), didn't she?", to which Harris replied: "Yes."

Ms Wass said: "She (Bindi) was in such a state she was banging her head against a wall."

She asked Harris if that had "filtered through" to him. "She was beside herself with shock wasn't she?"

Harris replied: "Yes."

The prosecutor asked if he knew whether his daughter needed counselling at some stage. Harris said he was not aware of that.

On Wednesday, he admitted admiring his daughter's 13-year-old friend sexually while on holiday, and having a "darker side" alongside his public persona.

He was asked by the prosecutor if his "slow walk" into court, with his wife Alwen on one arm and Bindi on the other, was "just for the cameras", to which he replied: "It's to show support."

Ms Wass suggested today there was a "common theme" among the allegations, which included claims that Harris preyed on women as he met them in his public role, abused them with an originally friendly gesture, assaulted them while they could not get away, did it while people were nearby, and then afterwards behaved as if nothing had occurred.

But the star dismissed all of the allegations against him as lies on Thursday.

He denied that his claim that the woman asked him for £25,000 was an "attempt to discredit" her and her family, and denied also trying to "vilify" alleged victim Tonya Lee.

Ms Lee, who has waived her right to anonymity, claims Harris touched her when she travelled to Britain from Australia for a tour in 1986.

Harris told the court he accused Ms Lee of making up the allegation because her story "didn't hold water".

He denied ever meeting Ms Lee and appeared more irritated when he responded: "You're not listening to me, I never met Tonya Lee."

Asked why she would have lied, he said: "It would only be to support her story. I can't imagine why she would say that, but it's all lies."

Harris also dismissed another allegation, made by a woman who claims he groped her as she got an autograph from the star at a Portsmouth-based community centre, insisting he was "never there".

He would not have needed to tour the country to promote his hit Two Little Boys, he said, because it was an "instant hit and hardly needed any promotion", and he would not have performed it unaccompanied.

The star told the court: "She's lying. It never happened, I wasn't there. I wasn't there, she must be making it up."

Harris was asked about another claim, made by a woman who has appeared as a witness, but whose allegations do not relate to a charge, in which he allegedly told her he wanted to be the first person to give her a "tongue kiss".

He said: "I would never say that, I hate that expression."

The star also dismissed another claim made by a separate witness who says he groped her as lies, and said he had "no recollection" of meeting another witness who has told the court he assaulted her in Malta.

The trial continues.

Additional reporting by Press Association