Maxwell who was pictured at Queen's Balmoral residence refuses to testify

A defiant Ghislaine Maxwell said Friday that prosecutors had failed to prove her guilty of sex crimes, as her defense wound up in a trial that heard lurid claims she groomed minors for abuse by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, according to AFP.

The trial began  days after a picture of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and Maxwell relaxing at Queen Elizabeth's Balmoral residence were shown to a US court.

According to BBC, the undated image is thought to have been taken in 1999, when Prince Andrew reportedly invited the couple to stay at the Scottish estate.

Speaking for the first time since her sensational trial opened late last month, the 59-year-old British socialite addressed the New York court only to say she would not be testifying.

"Your honor, the government has not proven its case beyond reasonable doubt so there is no need for me to testify," Maxwell, wearing a black turtle neck and matching face mask, told judge Alison Nathan.

The defense rested its case at 4:00 pm (2100 GMT) after less than two days of testimony after it struggled to put witnesses on the stand.

The daughter of former newspaper baron Robert Maxwell faces an effective life sentence if convicted by the jury of six counts of enticing and transporting minors for sex with her long-time companion Epstein.

Closing arguments and rebuttal are scheduled for Monday. The judge will then instruct the jury how to consider the charges before it retires to consider its verdict.

The trial, which began on November 29, had been scheduled to last six weeks but Maxwell may well learn her fate before Christmas Day, her 60th birthday.

The prosecution wound up on Friday last week, after taking just 10 days to question its witnesses.

They sought to portray Maxwell as Epstein´s partner-in-crime, recruiting young girls to be sexually exploited by the American money-manager, who killed himself in jail two years ago while awaiting his own trial.

Two women said they were as young as 14 when Maxwell allegedly began grooming them and arranging for them to give massages to Epstein that ended in sexual activity.

One, identified only as "Jane," detailed how Maxwell recruited her at summer camp and made her feel "special." She said sexual encounters with Epstein became routine, with Maxwell sometimes present.

Another, going by "Carolyn," said she was usually paid $300 after sexual encounters with Epstein, often by Maxwell herself.

The alleged crimes occurred between 1994 and 2004.