A pensioner allegedly forced a soiled nappy into the mouth of a young boy and made him eat his own vomit, a court has heard.
Rachel Lessels, 72, is on trial accused of attacking and mistreating three children at an address in Letham, Fife, between May 2006 and July 2009.
A jury heard claims the boy, now aged 22, was forced to walk outside naked, as well as having his head banged against a cupboard.
Lessels denies the five charges she faces.
Dinner table abuse claim
Giving his evidence via video link at Dundee Sheriff Court, the man, who stayed with Lessels for around two years, revealed he would live in fear of being “punished” and would often stand for hours in the living room of her home.
He claimed Lessels first mistreated by angrily smashing his piggy bank with a hammer, adding her false teeth would come loose when she was angry.
The witness alleged that on one occasion, his mouth began to bleed after Lessels forced him to eat his own vomit.
“I was sitting at the dinner table and can’t remember if I had eaten too much but I threw up onto the plate.
“I remember Rachel getting angry and saying that I needed to eat my own vomit.
“She got a fork and put it down my mouth.
“I remember she was trying to force feed me food and my own vomit.
“She pushed it so far my mouth or the back of my mouth started to bleed.
“I wasn’t allowed to leave the dinner table or have any other food until I had finished.”
Soiled nappy allegation
Jurors were told how Lessels would often look after babies at her home, with the witness saying he would often help with changing nappies.
During questioning from prosecutor Marie Lyons, he added: “We were in the living room on the floor, she was changing the nappy of a baby.
“All I remember is she grabbed my head and tried to put the nappy into my mouth.
“I was trying to push away but she pushed it right into my mouth.
“I had to take it out my mouth and spit the faeces out.”
The witness could not recall the reasons why Lessels behaved in this way.
‘To scared’ to tell
He revealed how on two separate occasions he was marched to Lessels’ car, parked on a public street, naked and clutching his clothes.
The court heard further claims he was woken up in the middle of the night by Lessels and forced to sit still in the hallway without falling asleep.
He also alleged Lessels caused him to bleed by banging his head against a cupboard, adding she did not seek medical treatment for him.
Claims were made that on another occasion, Lessels left him in pain after grabbing his private parts.
“I didn’t tell anybody about any of what happened because I was too scared.
“The social workers would come and I would just want to tell them what Rachel was really like.”
‘Nothing but kindness’
Defence counsel Mark Moir QC questioned the witness on why he was not able to offer an explanation for Lessels’ alleged conduct.
He said during cross-examination: “Rachel Lessels showed you nothing but kindness for the year-and-a-half, two years you were with her.
“She looked after you, she fed you, she did everything for you and now, for whatever reason, you have decided to make these allegations against her.”
The witness responded: “It was good in the start but I saw another side to her behind closed doors.
“I have nothing to gain, I’m just telling you what happened.”
The trial before Sheriff Paul Brown continues.
