No First-Time Terrorists
A number of eyewitnesses have told the court that Maxwell, 69, is “a very gentle person, and she doesn’t know how to handle authority”. One, described by friends as a “no nonsense delivery driver”, said Maxwell “appeared very sad” and “like she was having trouble dealing with something very heavy, like an unexpected demand”.
She listened quietly to proceedings, folding her hands behind her back and occasionally covering her face with her hand. A number of people on the stand, including her son, Anthony, broke down in tears as they told the court about abuse they suffered. The details have led to Maxwell’s defence lawyers accusing them of making “false allegations to gain sympathy for themselves”. Defence QC Jonathan Heyman told the jury: “You can imagine the horror for a 47-year-old man to have his mother dragged down this court and forced to answer to these allegations.”
Maxwell, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, denies 54 sex offences against 11 women, including blackmail, false imprisonment and indecent assault. The jury was told Maxwell has been HIV positive for more than 40 years. She denies blackmail.