DLT: Savile abuse 'worst crime'
Dave Lee Travis has told a jury that he would have reported Jimmy Savile to police if he had known that the TV star was a paedophile, saying: "It is the worst crime in the world."
The veteran DJ told London's Southwark Crown Court that although "people automatically assume" he must have got on with Savile because they were both in showbusiness, they never really had a conversation.
Travis, who is on trial accused of indecently assaulting 10 women and sexually assaulting another, said he did not know where Savile lived or have his phone number.
Answering questions from Stephen Vullo, for the defence, he said: "I, like other people, did think 'he seems to like young girls'. He was always surrounded by girls and by that I mean girls of 16, 17, 18.
"But I don't think that anyone knew what was going on as far as him being a paedophile.
"In all honesty, if I had known that Jimmy Savile was a paedophile I would have been the first to get him arrested because it is the worst crime in the world as far as I am concerned."
Travis, who appeared under his birth name David Griffin, told the jury about his time as a rising star radio DJ in the 1960s and how he took over the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show in 1978.
He said that at its peak the show had 15 million listeners and he explained how he had gone on to present Top of the Pops on television for "100 to 150 shows".
He compared the nerves he had felt presenting the Eurovision song contest to those he felt giving evidence in his trial.
The 68-year-old, from Buckinghamshire, denies 13 indecent assaults and one sexual assault, dating back to 1976 and the height of his fame.
The alleged offences occurred when he was working as a BBC DJ, as a broadcaster with Classic Gold radio, while appearing on Top Of The Pops and when starring in panto.
Travis said before his arrest in November 2012 he had never been arrested for anything. Travis also said he had no police cautions or convictions.
"I must have had a speeding offence somewhere in my life," he said. "I have not been arrested for anything or cautioned for anything."
Speaking about what it was like to work at Radio 1 in the late 60s and early 70s he said: "It was the golden years on Radio 1, I think it was true to say at that particular station, as opposed to Radios 2,3 and 4.
"We had so much fun. Everyone was popping in and seeing other people in that office we were talking about this and that.. It was a really fun atmosphere."
Asked by his defence barrister Stephen Vullo if pranks played at Radio 1 were "part of the fun" Travis responded "oh yes, yes,yes."
He recalled a time when he was setting a needle on a record when David Hamilton had walked in. "He said 'hi' he said 'I don't like this record and he lifted the needle. Oh my heart jumped," Travis told the jury.
"From what I recall he had arranged it with an engineer to be playing a tape of the record at exactly the same time to freak me out."
Travis described claims that he was a sexual predator as "nonsensical" but admitted he was "tactile".
"I don't do that, if I like someone I will hug them and give them a kiss because the whole world needs that," he said.
"Perhaps hugging is something which can be misconstrued by some people or if people are looking for an excuse they can say 'he touched us'. I did hug a lot girls.
"I do not have a predatory nature with women, I have a cuddly nature.
"Maybe that's what this is all about, but I am not predatory.
"If I really like somebody I will put my arm around them and I might give them a peck on the cheek, I even do that with men, to make them feel comfortable and welcome to the place.
"But nowadays you are not allowed to do that, put your arms around people and hug them."
He said that "air kisses" were part of showbusiness, but denied that he considered it his right to touch people because he was famous or even that he was that big a star
"There are no unimportant people," Travis said. "I would never, never treat anybody as if they were under me or less than me.
"In my career I have met princesses, I have met the Queen, I have met the dustman - they are all the same to me. I just like people."
Dave Lee Travis complained that he had lost "work, money and health" due to sex abuse allegations while his wife suffered breast cancer, a jury has been told.
The veteran DJ and broadcaster told police he had been "s****ed backwards" due to the claims, jurors at London's Southwark Crown Court heard.
Travis, who is on trial accused of indecently assaulting 10 women and sexually assaulting another, described the claims as "c**p" during a police interview on September 18 last year.
Junior prosecutor Teresa Hay said: "Mr Travis said that for 10 months he had lost his money, work, his health, he has had back and knee operations and had suffered stress.
"Worse still, his wife had suffered breast cancer. She was through it now but stress is bad for someone who is going through that.
"This was costing him his job, his living and everything he has built up over 50 years.
"For him these allegations don't stand up. He and his wife had suffered badly."
He said his accuser was "out to make money" and asked: "Why wait 20 years until it comes out in one-sided press coverage?"
"This is just someone else who can smell money and is jumping into the game to see what they can get out of it," he told police.
Ms Hay said Travis, known as DLT, told police: "He has been s****ed backwards - he is selling his house to pay for solicitors and barristers.
"People might think he is a millionaire but his bank account is non-existent.
"His life has changed for the worse and he is full of anger.
"Even if he is acquitted he still won't be free. He is f*****.
Travis, 68, of Buckinghamshire, denies 13 indecent assaults and one sexual assault, dating back to 1976 and the height of his fame.
The alleged offending includes when he was working as a BBC DJ, as a broadcaster with Classic Gold radio, while appearing on Top Of The Pops, and when starring in panto.
The jury heard that Travis was questioned in relation to allegations that he groped a woman while dancing the Lambada at two British Airways parties in the early 1990s.
He told police he would provide musical entertainment or act as compere at such parties, dressed as a werewolf or Darth Vader, but could not remember those events in particular.
Asked about claims that he had told the woman she had "won the keys to his room", he claimed it was not the type of thing he would say.
He said it was "very easy to say there is no smoke without fire" and dismissed that idea as "rubbish".
Travis also told police that he had "great sympathy" with rape victims and had been involved in attempts to stop it in his work for children's charities.
"But he didn't see the similarity between this and grabbing a girl's bum in a dance," Ms Hay said
It seems that they were all 'at it' in some way or other. 
'd him. Or thought it would be hilarious to waggle their bollox on morning telly. Which it was 
