Judge to rule on child sex charges against former 'Coronation Street' actor

A former 'Coronation Street' actor will be found not guilty of a third of the child sex charges against him after a judge ruled on his case today.

Andrew Lancel (aged 42) was charged last November under his real name Andrew Watkinson.

The actor, from Gateacre in Liverpool, is best known for his role as Frank Foster in the ITV soap.

Lancel has pleaded not guilty to six counts of indecent assault of a child under the age of 16 and is on trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

The charges relate to one male victim and the offending allegedly took place between 1993 and 1994 when he was aged 14 and 15 and attending a theatre group.

But today Judge Clement Goldstone QC, The Recorder of Liverpool, told the jury that he would order them to find the defendant not guilty of two of the counts as the complainant had agreed while he was being cross examined that he could not definitely say that some of the allegations happened before his 15th birthday.

Judge Goldstone told the jury: “In due course I will direct you to return not guilty verdicts on counts one and two.”

Lancel remains on trial for the further four counts relating to when the complainant was 15.

Today Lancel, wearing a black suit and striped tie, took to the witness box and answered questions from his barrister Andrew Menary QC.

He told the jury that “in the back of his mind” he thought the allegations might have something to do with the “horrendous” character Frank Foster, who he played in Coronation Street.

Mr Menary asked the defendant about a text he had received from the complainant - a man who Lancel described as a “mate” who he had known for years and was also invited to his wedding.

Lancel said it came at a time when he was playing the “high profile” role of Foster in the soap.

Mr Menary asked: “For people who don’t know the show. Frank Foster: a likeable character?”

The actor responded: “Not really at all. He was a rapist. Pretty horrendous. I played him for 18 months. It was certainly in the back of my mind.”

He said the text message did not sound like the man he thought was his friend.

Lancel said: “I remember thinking is it a wind up? Is it him? Is he stoned or is he drunk? What is it?”

He was then asked about a later text from his accuser which said what he had allegedly done was “massively illegal”.

Lancel said he remained “calm” about it but thought it might be a “set up”.

The actor, who is married with a son, told the jury he was heterosexual and denied having any “intimate contact” with his accuser and a second man who gave evidence in the trial who accused him of performing a sex act on him when he was 15 after giving him a massage.

Mr Menary asked if any of what the two men said had ever happened.

Lancel said: “Absolutely not.”

Mr Menary said: “Have you ever had an intimate physical relationship , a gay relationship, with anybody?”

He responded: “No I have not.”

Mr Menary asked him if he had any idea why the men were saying these things.

Lancel said: “I don’t know. I’ve never known.”

The prosecution claim the defendant used his “status” as an actor to flatter and gain the trust of the boy, whom he knew he was under the age of consent.

During cross examination from Kim Whittlestone, for the prosecution, the defendant repeatedly denied that he had had homosexual experiences but admitted that he had been at a party when he was 18 or 19 when he was watching pornography with some friends.

He said: “It’s really quite mild. There were a few us and we were watching some porn and we had cushions on our laps.”

The actor said he “touched” a friend’s cushion, which was covering his erection, gesturing with his hand and said: “oooh oooh...that’s it.”

Asked if he would class this as masturbation, Lancel said: “I don’t think I did class it as masturbation.”

Lancel also said he had been to parties and “dropped his trousers” in “truth or dare” and “show and tell” type games and that he was “not proud of it”.

Miss Whittlestone described it as “lads on tour, rugby club behaviour” in which “you pulled down your pants, showed them your willy”.

She asked again if this had led to sexual contact “with another male” and he said no.

The actor admitted he had gone through a “drugs stage” and a “dark period” in his life in 1997 and 1998. He said it was around the time of his father’s death.

Referring to interviews he had done with the police when he was arrested, Miss Whittlestone said: “Do you accept that you are saying to the officers that you have dabbled with masturbation during a drug stage in your life when you were 27?”

Lancel said: “No, I’m afraid I don’t. If it comes over like that I apologise.”

The actor denied having oral sex with the alleged victim during that “drugs stage” and also “dabbling with homosexual acts with other males”.

He admitted there had been “Bohemian parties” but said they were just “theatrical, fun parties”.

Lancel denied that he “experimented with his sexuality” at these parties.

Miss Whittlestone went on to accuse the actor of using similar “techniques” to engage his accuser and two other men who have made accusations about him when they were aged 15, including telling them he knew “massage techniques”.

She said it was “a line” he used to turn their friendship in to “friendship with benefits”.

Asked again about his alleged sexual contact with his accuser, Lancel responded: “There was nothing going on. There never was. There never has been.”

Finishing her cross examination Miss Whittlestone suggested that the three men in the case had told the truth.

She said Lancel was doing what he told the complainant he would do when he was 15: deny it.

He responded: “It never happened.”

Lancel finished giving his evidence and the jury was sent home for the day.

The trial will resume tomorrow at 10am when the defence case will continue.