Beatle's brother denies groping

Mike McCartney denies the allegation

Sir Paul McCartney's brother demanded "don't you know who I am?" after a teenage waitress accused him of groping her, a court heard.

Mike McCartney, 61, is accused of sexually assaulting the 16-year-old girl at a family party in Merseyside in September 2004.

The schoolgirl alleges he grabbed her bottom as he asked for more prawns.

Mr McCartney, who is appearing at Chester Crown Court under his real name Peter, denies the charge.

Deborah Gould, prosecuting, said that as the complainant was clearing plates, Mr McCartney, of Park West, Heswall, approached her from behind and moved his hand to her bottom.

Don't you know who I am? All these young girls are only after one thing - some money from me Mike McCartney's alleged comments

"He kept his hand on her bottom while he asked her if there was any [food] left, said Miss Gould. "...She was upset and embarrassed by the defendant's behaviour in putting his hand on her bottom."

The girl - who cannot be named for legal reasons - reported the incident to her manager Gavin Batchelor who confronted Mr McCartney, a photographer and former member of the 1960s band The Scaffold.

Miss Gould said: "The defendant flew into a rage. Although he denied the allegation, he was abusive and extremely angry.

'No idea'

"He kept asking Mr Batchelor if he knew who he, the defendant, was.

"Mr Batchelor had no idea what that meant, he did not know the defendant's identity at that stage.

"Mr Batchelor described that the defendant was 'full of himself and arrogant in his manner; he seemed to expect that we must know him'."

The court heard that pub licensee David McCarten asked Mr McCartney to leave but he refused, saying: "I'm famous, I've been well known for over 60 years.

'Absolutely abhorrent'

"Don't you know who I am? All these young girls are only after one thing - some money from me."

When he was interviewed by the police in October 2004 he denied the allegation, saying: "I'm sorry... there is no way that I would touch a girl's or a lady's bottom in my life.

"The idea of doing that to a girl is absolutely abhorrent to me... I think that is wrong."

The case continues.