A young runner on a Noel Clarke film left the industry for three years after the actor followed her into the women’s toilets, pulled out a condom and propositioned her, the high court has heard.
Philippa Crabb, now a production manager, was working in an entry-level position on Brotherhood, the last of the Kidulthood trilogy, written and produced by Clarke, when he offered her a small role as a nurse.
In one of the articles that is the subject of the former Doctor Who actor’s libel claim against the Guardian, Crabb detailed how Clarke asked her for a sexual favour in return for the part. In her witness statement she recalled another incident, not reported in the 2021-22 publications, which she said took place at the film’s wrap party.
“Noel then came into the women’s toilets … I went into a cubicle and, as I went to close the door, Noel opened it and came into it after me. I was at the back of what was quite a very small cubicle and he leaned against the door, facing me and blocking the way out.
“He pulled a condom out of his pocket and said something to the effect of: ‘How about it then.’ I said something about his wife and three kids, as I had seen them before on set. I can’t remember his response in precise words but it was something along the lines of: ‘I don’t care.’ His attitude in that moment changed. He went from friendly to defensive. I just felt huge pressure from him.
“I can’t remember how I got out of the cubicle. He must have moved to the side or something and I pushed past and somehow I got away.”
Philip Williams, representing Clarke, suggested Crabb had made up the incident and had not told the Guardian about it, citing a transcript of a conversation he said that she had with one of its journalists in which it was not mentioned.
Crabb said she had told the Guardian but requested that it not be included in the article when she realised her name was going to be published.
Another witness on Wednesday was Helen Atherton, a standby art director whose allegations also featured in the Guardian’s reporting. She said in her witness statement that Clarke had subjected her to relentless “looks, comments and gestures” about her bottom during her first two weeks on the set of Brotherhood.
Asked by Williams why she did not simply say she did not like Clarke’s “bad jokes” immediately, Atherton replied: “Unfortunately I think a lot of women do put up with treatment like that in the film industry – but hopefully that is changing – and that’s why I didn’t confront him.”
However, she told the court that such behaviour usually came from those in more junior positions. “I’ve never had any remarks from another director or someone in a hierarchy position,” Atherton told the court.
Clarke admits commenting twice on her bottom but says he apologised and it was accepted.
The court also heard from Synne Seltveit, a Norwegian friend of Clarke’s assistant producer, Gina Powell. Seltveit claims Clarke sent her an unsolicited picture on Snapchat of “a naked erect penis which I presumed was his” before her 2015 trip to the UK to see Powell.
Williams questioned the timing, saying it did not make “any logical sense” that Clarke would message her before he had even met her. But Seltveit said it would have been easy to find her on Snapchat, adding: “He knew I was coming, he knew I was a good friend of Gina.”
Her friend took a picture of the “dick pic”, which the metadata dates to 4 June 2015, the court heard.
Williams said: “My client denies sending that picture and he denies that it’s his penis.”
