THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7: closing arguments have taken place in the trial of elderly Camden Haven man Derek Edward Nichols. Nichols, 90, appeared before Judge Leonie Flannery and a 12-person jury for a third day on charges of "aggravated sexual touching". Nichols is accused of sexually touching a 25-year-old man who has a cognitive impairment in the early morning of August 4, 2022. He has pleaded not guilty. It is alleged the men met on August 1, 2022, after Nichols saw the younger man riding a mountain bike and stopped to talk to him. The two men allegedly spent the next four days together, during which the younger man moved into Nichols' home. During the third day of the trial in Port Macquarie District Court, the Crown prosecutor said there "should be no doubt" that Nichols sexually touched the alleged victim. "The Crown says that you would... be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt of the guilt of the accused; that is, that he did sexually touch [the alleged victim]," he told the jurors. In his closing argument, defence lawyer David Mulligan said that the evidence presented in court does not "come up to proof." "I would say that you know that," he told the jurors. "If it doesn't, your sworn duty... is to return a verdict of not guilty." The trial has been adjourned to Monday, December 11, where Judge Flannery will give her final directions to the jury before they retire to reach a verdict. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6: The father and sister of an alleged victim of sexual touching have given evidence at the trial of elderly Camden Haven man Derek Edward Nichols. Nichols, 90, appeared before Judge Leonie Flannery and a 12-person jury for a second day on charges of "aggravated sexual touching". Nichols is accused of sexually touching a 25-year-old man who has a cognitive impairment in the early morning of August 4, 2022. He has pleaded not guilty. It is alleged the men met on August 1, 2022, after Nichols saw the younger man riding a mountain bike and stopped to talk to him. The two men allegedly spent the next four days together, during which the younger man moved into Nichols' home. During the second day of the trial in Port Macquarie District Court, the alleged victim's father detailed how, on the night before the alleged incident, he tried to get his son to move back home. He said it was the following day that his son told him, "he groped me". The court heard an official complaint was made to police shortly afterwards. Nichols was arrested on August 5, 2022, and was initially granted bail but has been in custody since August 15, 2022, after he was found to have breached bail conditions. The alleged victim's sister also appeared in court to give evidence. She said that she too had tried to get her brother to move back home and was with him and their father when they went to police to make the initial complaint. The trial resumes on Thursday, December 7. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5: The trial of an elderly Camden Haven man charged with "aggravated sexual touching" has entered its second day in the Port Macquarie District Court. Derek Edward Nichols, 90, appeared before Judge Leonie Flannery and a 12-person jury on Tuesday, December 5. Nichols is charged with sexually touching another person without consent at a home in North Haven. He has pleaded not guilty. The court heard that his alleged victim is a 25-year-old man who has a cognitive impairment. In his opening statement, the Crown prosecutor alleged Nichols put his hand down the pants of the alleged victim while he slept in the early morning of August 4, 2022. The court heard the alleged victim was 23-years-old at the time. It is alleged the men met on August 1, 2022, after Nichols saw the younger man riding a mountain bike and stopped to talk to him. Nichols allegedly introduced himself as "Ted" and invited the man to get into the car for a drive. During the drive, Nichols allegedly told the man that they were like "long lost twins" and "had a special connection". The court heard they spent the next four days together, during which the alleged victim moved into Nichols' home. During this time, the court heard Nichols allegedly touched the younger man on the outside of his clothes, hugged him multiple times and at one point "tapped him on the buttocks". On August 3, 2022, Nichols allegedly told the man they should sleep in the same bed and asked him to take parts of his clothes off before getting into bed. According to the complainant's account, it's alleged he woke up in the early hours of the next morning to find Nichols holding the younger man's penis and "moving it around". The court heard that the alleged victim immediately removed the hand and told his father, before a complaint was made to police. Nichols was arrested on August 5, 2022, and was initially granted bail but has been in custody since August 15, 2022, after he was found to have breached bail conditions. Nichols' defence lawyer David Mulligan said what has been alleged in court "simply did not happen". Mr Mulligan said it will not be denied that Nichols met the alleged victim on August 1 and that the younger man moved in with him shortly after. "What will be an issue is what has been described by the Crown prosecutor in the early hours of the 4th of August, 2022," he said. "The further contextual elements that were heard from the Crown prosecutor that Mr Nichols groped or stroked [the alleged victim] between the first and fourth of August are just not true". The court was closed as the alleged victim was called to give evidence. The trial continues on Wednesday, December 6. IN OTHER NEWS: