Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Epstein's ex testifies for the defence

Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend of eight years has testified for the defence at Ghislaine Maxwell's federal sex trafficking trial.

Eva Andersson-Dubin - a former physician and Miss Sweden winner - has defended Epstein in the past.

Lawyers for Ms Maxwell also sought to poke holes on Friday in the recollections of her accusers.

Ms Maxwell, 59, has pleaded not guilty to allegations she groomed underage girls for abuse by Epstein.

Mrs Dubin told the court on Friday she had dated Epstein on and off from 1983 to 1991 and that her children called him "Uncle Jeff".

She married billionaire hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin in 1994 and the couple was close to both Epstein and Ms Maxwell.

The four were named in 2016 depositions of Virginia Giuffre, the most vocal Epstein accuser, and Rinaldo Rizzo, a former butler to the Dubins.

Mrs Giuffre has claimed the Dubins were her first sexual encounter "after my training" by Ms Maxwell, while Mr Rizzo had said he recalled that a 15-year-old girl came into his kitchen and said she had been pressured into sex on Epstein's private island.

The Dubins have vigorously denied these allegations, saying they "were horrified by and completely unaware of Jeffrey Epstein's unspeakable conduct".

Mrs Dubin was asked on Friday if she had ever participated in a group sexual encounter with Ms Maxwell's accuser Jane, who testified last week. She said she had not, but when pressed by prosecutors about her memory, said: "I can't remember things from last month."

Mrs Dubin previously defended Epstein in his 2008 state sex crimes case in Florida, writing in a testimonial that she "could not ask for a better friend or godfather to my children".

Epstein registered as a sex offender after his plea deal in that case, but died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Ms Maxwell's lawyers also brought in two FBI agents on Friday to testify about discrepancies between recent testimony by Ms Maxwell's accusers and their law enforcement statements.

But the trial was thrown into disarray after defence lawyers, who had initially offered a list of 35 witnesses, asked the judge for more time to produce them.

"We are flying people across the country, across the pond, our client's life is on the line, and we are given only a half a day to put on a witness," said attorney Laura Menninger.

Judge Alison Nathan rebuked the team for not having its witnesses ready and recommended they rest their case early as she would not delay the trial.

"I have a rule, you have your next witness or you rest," she said

One defence witness has not complied with a federal subpoena to testify at the trial, another has tested positive for the coronavirus, and a third can only fly from the UK on Monday.

A final determination on whether Ms Maxwell will take the stand in her own defence is expected to come sometime on Friday.

The Briton has been in a US jail since her arrest last year. She faces up to 80 years in prison if convicted.