The trial has begun of a man accused of a catalogue of indecent assaults involving sexual activity on three separate women during a period of 40 years.

Frederick Peter Hichens, from Porthleven, is charged with 17 counts of indecent assault involving a total of 66 separate occasions, and one of attempted rape, which the prosecution allege took place between the 1960s and 2000. A number are alleged to have involved underage girls.

The 73-year-old has pleaded not guilty to all charges and now stands trial at Truro Crown Court.

Prosecutor Peter Coombe said in the opening day of evidence today (Monday) that one of the victims had told police that Hichens had committed a certain sexual act on her "more than 100 times."

He said the historic allegations only came to light with the authorities after Hichens visited the Royal Cornwall Hospital in February last year.

"He had been making threats of suicide. Whilst he was there he was trying to feign being mentally unwell. It has to be said the psychiatric team who interviewed him saw through his performance pretty quickly," said Mr Coombe.

He claimed Hichens had been trying to get admitted to a psychiatric hospital after a family member of one of the alleged victims began making threats to him.

Mr Coombe said Hichens had admitted to nurses in the hospital that the abuse had taken place. As a result they contacted police, who in turn contacted one of the alleged victims. Two others later came forward.

He went on to say that despite Hichens' admission in hospital, when interviewed by police in the following months he made no comment.

Mr Coombe said that the charges involved a range of sexual acts on the women.

One had since spoken with a therapist about what had happened.

Mr Coombe said she had decided to speak out now as "in her words, 'The abuse needs to be out in the open'."

In a video played to the jury later on, the same victim can be heard saying: "I probably should have [come forward] before and now I need people to know what happened to me."

Another said she had been afraid to speak out when she was younger.

Mr Coombe said that in relation to the alleged attempted rape, the victim said in a statement that as she ran out of the room Hichens had "said he was sorry, he didn't know what he was thinking and he would not have done it."

The trial continues.