Barriere man charged with allegedly sexually assaulting 97-year-old woman testifies

Speaking in front of the 97-year-olds family, including her son and daughter-in-law, a calm Brian Byung Koo Lee took to the witness stand to recount the events of last August.

Lee and his wife had recently moved to Barriere to take over the Bag Lady Enterprises Bottle Depot when they were invited over to dinner to a house the woman shared with her son.

Using a translator, Lee said it was there a bond began to form between the two, one that he claims was non-sexual.

Lee told the court during dinner the woman’s son agreed to fix his truck.

Lee stopped by the house the following day saying he wanted to see if the car was fixed.

When asked by Crown Counsel if expecting a truck to be fixed for free in one day day seemed a bit rushed Lee said he was checking to see if the son had proper skills to fix the vehicle.

Lee stopped by the home at least two other times, one to get the spare key and the other to collect the vehicle.

I was during one of the visits, while the woman’s son was downstairs, that the 96-year-old claims Lee sexually assaulted her.

According to Lee, he and the woman simply talked, adding she was worried she was going to be put in a care home and wanted his help.

About two weeks later Lee was spotted in front of the woman’s home.

Lee says he was rushing to get back to the bottle depot but felt he needed stop and see how she was doing.

Lee testified the woman’s son ran out onto the front lawn yelling ‘I’m going to kill you.’

There was plenty of tension in the courtroom Thursday, with the woman’s son leaving the courtroom at one point.

To this day Lee maintains he’s done nothing wrong, saying it’s in the Korean culture to lend your time to the elderly.

The trial wraps up Friday.

by Vanessa Ybarra

Barriere man charged with allegedly sexually assaulting 97-year-old woman testifies

WATCH: Full report by Vanessa Ybarra

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