A Tayside teacher told a court two women accusing him of sexual assault have conspired to “make up” allegations.
Dean Bromage, 35, denies touching a young woman’s breast during a Salvation Army concert.
His accuser alleges he also ran his hand up between her legs, before telling her she “probably enjoyed it”.
Married musician Bromage, of Monifieth, also denies exposing his penis to a child in a car at a beach in St Andrews.
He told Dundee Sheriff Court he had problems acknowledging other people’s “personal space” and if he had touched the woman he would “have made a funny comment about it”.
When asked if his accusers were committing perjury, he said “yes” and that their stories were “made-up”.
Depute fiscal Lee Corr, cross-examining Bromage, said: “I put it to you you deliberately touched the woman.”
Bromage responded: “You would be wrong.”
Of touching the girl’s breast, he said: “I would have made a stupid comment if I had done something that day.
“I had a habit of making silly comments all the time, to ease embarrassment.”
When asked if he remembered running his hand up the woman’s legs during a performance, Bromage responded: “I don’t remember that at all.
“I am quite a bit taller than the woman.
“If I had crouched down, it would have been obvious.”
Salvation Army concert touching claim
One of the women, now 25, said she had reported Bromage’s conduct to her seniors but no action had been taken, to her knowledge.
When she read about him “getting off” with a similar charge in another case in Fife, she decided to report him to police.
She said the first time Bromage touched her inappropriately was when their group travelled to Aberdeen to perform in the Salvation Army citadel near Union Square.
She added she was hugging her instrument to warm it up as it was out of tune and Bromage brushed his hand against her breast.
She initially thought he may have been brushing off some “pink fluff” from the instrument case but with hindsight decided his motives were more sinister.
“He came up to me and he brushed his right hand over my chest. He didn’t say anything.
“I was very confused and I didn’t really know what had happened.”
She said: “There was about a ten-year age difference.
“I knew he was a teacher and that he was married. I knew his wife.”
Outrage over 2nd alleged incident
The second incident, she said, took place in Edinburgh when Bromage stood beside her in the choir during a fundraising show.
“Mr Bromage leaned back to pass a message to those who were in the band.
“He leaned back into line and as he did so he ran his hand up between my legs.
“I stepped away before he could go any higher.
“It was going up my leg. It was not appropriate at all.
“It was unwanted sexual touching. I was outraged.
“He leaned in and said: ‘Sorry, that was an accident – but you probably enjoyed it.’
“I was further outraged. How dare he say something like that?”
Denies all charges
Bromage, of Fotheringham Drive, Monifieth, denies acting in a lewd and libidinous manner towards a girl aged between 12 and 16 at West Sands Beach, St Andrews, and Central Salvation Army Hall, Dundee, between March 2008 and 2010.
He is accused of taking her for a drive, exposing his penis to her and trying to kiss her.
He also denies sexually assaulting a woman between May 2018 and February 2019 at the Salvation Army Halls in Castle Street, Aberdeen, and Gorgie Road, Edinburgh.
The trial, before Sheriff John Rafferty, continues.
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