Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese democracy leader, gave evidence in her criminal trial yesterday and denied any wrongdoing in sheltering an eccentric American who swam to her home after he dreamt of her assassination.

She has been allowed to consult her lawyers only in the courtroom, and a request for a private meeting with them was rejected by the court. She denied having any knowledge of the motives of John Yettaw, 53, the American who emerged from the waters of Inya Lake, Rangoon, to enter the grounds of her house.

According to a diplomat who was present in the court Ms Suu Kyi said that she had not even met Mr Yettaw when he paid his first clandestine visit to her house in November last year. She first encountered him at 5am on May 3 after he had crossed the lake for a second time, dodging the police who were supposed to be guarding it, by using an empty plastic bottle as a float.

She appeared healthy and composed as she told the court that she did not know why he had left behind a bizarre collection of items, including ropes, a head torch, and two Islamic-style abaya dresses, and that she did not even know his name until after his arrest. “I allowed him to have temporary shelter,” she said. Her lawyers have said previously that she did not report Mr Yettaw to the authorities because she did not want him to get into trouble on her account.

At one point when asked about the motives of Mr Yettaw, Ms Suu Kyi said: “Why don’t you ask him?” and looked across at her co-defendant who was seated a few feet from her. After his arrest Mr Yettaw, described by his family in Missouri as an unemployed Vietnam War veteran, reportedly told the police that he wanted to help Ms Suu Kyi.

“She was very composed, forceful and upfront,” said Mark Canning, the British Ambassador to Burma, who was present at the hearing.

“I think they are letting us into the trial because they have been taken aback by the scale of the reaction. No one is under any illusions that letting us in is going to change the course of the trial.”

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