Tim Westwood ‘assaulted woman in BBC studios and raped woman in hotel’
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Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood, who is accused of rape and sexual assault, has been granted conditional bail at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.
The Pimp My Ride presenter arrived at court in London to face a string of sexual offence charges wearing a puffer jacket, as he was flanked by police offers.
The 68-year-old is accused of offences against seven women, including three indecent assaults at the BBC studios in the 1990s.
Westwood is also alleged to have raped a woman at a London hotel in 1996 and sexually assaulted another woman at a music festival in the city around 20 years later.
He will next appear at Southwark Crown Court on December 8.
Westwood, who dominated the UK hip hop scene for 40 years and presented BBC Radio 1’s Rap Show for almost two decades, is charged with four counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and nine counts of indecent assault against seven women between 1983 and 2016.
He appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday wearing a dark grey shirt and spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address.
Westwood, who returned to the UK from Nigeria last week, was not required to enter pleas to any of the charges.
The court heard he has attended five voluntary police interviews since the investigation into the alleged offences began.
He is accused of four indecent assaults in the 1980s in London as well as three indecent assaults at the BBC in the 1990s.
The defendant is also alleged to have raped a woman in a London hotel in 1996.
Westwood is further accused of two indecent assaults and one count of rape from the early 2000s at a London address, and two counts of rape at a London address in the 2010s.
He is also alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman at a nightclub in Stroud, Gloucestershire, in 2010.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring granted Westwood bail on the condition that he does not contact prosecution witnesses.
In 2022, a joint investigation by The Guardian and BBC brought to light a number of accusations of sexual misconduct against Westwood, all of which he strenuously denied.
Six women spoke out about their experiences in the BBC Three documentary, Abuse of Power.
The BBC Board previously apologised following a review which said the corporation ‘did not take adequate action’ after learning of concerns regarding the hip hop DJ’s alleged behaviour.
He stepped down from his show on Capital Xtra in April 2022 and left Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra in 2013 after nearly 20 years at the BBC.
He also presented the MTV UK car makeover show Pimp My Ride UK, which ran for three seasons from 2005 to 2007.
Westwood is the son of the former Anglican bishop of Peterborough, Bill Westwood, who died in the 1990s.
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