A woman had sex with a schoolboy nearly four decades ago when she was in her early 20s, it has been alleged.

Gillian Mitchell, who is now 60, allegedly touched the boy’s bottom at a wedding reception in Long Melford when he was 12 and later the same evening put her hand inside his trousers in a taxi, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Back at the boy’s home Mitchell had allegedly had sex with him in a downstairs living room while his mother was asleep upstairs, said Marc Brown, prosecuting.

Mitchell had allegedly later made a comment about being a “naughty older woman”, the court heard.

Mr Brown claimed that after the first alleged sexual contact after the wedding reception, Mitchell had made up reasons for the boy to visit her house so that they could have sex.

She had also allegedly visited his house and had sex with him while his mother was at work, said Mr Brown.

The alleged sexual activity petered out when the boy got a girlfriend and he had kept what had allegedly happened with Mitchell to himself apart from telling a  couple of girlfriends.

As an adult, the alleged victim, who is now 50, suffered from mental health problems and substance and alcohol misuse and blamed his experiences as a child, said Mr Brown.

Following an argument about politics on social media with one of Mitchell’s relatives in 2019 the alleged victim had allegedly sent her messages about what allegedly happened between them.

Mitchell was interviewed by the police in 2020 and denied having any sexual contact with the alleged victim.

Mitchell, of Butt Road, Great Cornard, has denied five offences of indecent assault and two of gross indecency with a boy.

The boy was aged 12 to 14 years old at the time of the alleged offences which are said to have taken place between 1985 and 1988.