Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell found not guilty of child sex offences

Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell was today found not guilty of child sex offences.

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by Closer staff |
Published on

The trial, which took place at Manchester Crown Court, saw the actor face 12 child sex abuse charges, 5 of which were rape.

The actor was tried under his real name Michael Turner.

Judith Moritz, North of England Correspondent for BBC News said: “It was extremely tense in the court room- you could have heard a pin drop.

“The judge began by telling the court room that he wanted absolute silence.”

Michael after he was found not guilty today
Michael after he was found not guilty today

The child in question, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court that Michael, 48, abused her from the age of 6 until she was 14.

Now 17, the accuser alleged that Michael abused her while holding a teddy bear over her face, telling her he was ‘getting rid of all of the evil and bad inside her’.

Judith said: “There was huge tension in the public gallery and I saw five of Michael Le Vell’s relatives holding hands.”

But the jury, consisting of eight women and four men, returned verdicts of not guilty on every count.

When the verdicts were read out, Michael was seen to nod towards the jury and mouthed ‘thank you’.

Michael’s solicitor said that the accuser’s evidence was ‘inconsistent’ and ‘unbelievable’ and it had an ‘agonising lack of detail’.

Speaking after the trial, Michael thanked his family and ITV for their continued support. He said it was a ‘weight off everyone’s shoulders’ and that he was ‘delighted’.

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