Corrie star ‘raped girl as she clutched teddy bear’
The actor leant forward in his seat, his face almost touching the glass screen in the dock, grimacing, closing his eyes, and repeatedly shaking his head as the girl gave evidence.
The witness, whose identity cannot be revealed, broke down in tears minutes after beginning her evidence behind a curtain, screening her from the public gallery at Manchester Crown Court.
She was given a glass of water before composing herself and continuing to answer questions from Eleanor Laws, prosecuting.
Earlier, the jury was told the actor allegedly told the girl: “It’s OK, just keep calm, stay asleep... I’m going to get rid of the evil,” as he sexually abused her.
Mr Le Vell, 48, who plays car mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV soap, is facing 12 charges in all — five counts of rape, three of indecent assault, two counts of sexual activity with a child, and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
Mr Le Vell, on trial under his real name of Michael Turner, denies the offences and shook his head, saying “not guilty” in a strong voice as the charges were put to him before his trial began.
His alleged victim told the court when asked about the alleged abuse: “I was very scared because it didn’t feel right. It felt like I wasn’t in my body at the time and I was just watching it.”
Asked why she did not tell anyone of the abuse, she replied: “Because he told me not to. It was our little secret.”
The witness told the jury that, during one of the alleged rapes, Mr Le Vell told her she “was safe and that he was just getting rid of all the evil and bad that was inside me”.
She said the assault was “painful” and that during it “he stopped me speaking by putting one of my favourite teddy bears over my mouth. I could still breathe but I couldn’t say anything.”
The witness said that, after that particular assault, “he just sort of got off me and kissed my left cheek and then left”.
She said the attacks made her feel “disgusting” and that the experiences “sort of froze” her body and that she did not know what was happening.
The girl said some episodes of the alleged abuse lasted around 10 minutes but it “felt like a lifetime”. She said she felt “dirty and disgusting” adding: “I felt really ashamed of myself.”
Ms Laws then asked why she did not tell anyone about the abuse earlier.
“I thought I had done something wrong and I could not understand why he was doing it to me,” she said.
“And I thought there was evil in me and I thought I was a bad person, and I was not.”
Earlier, the jury heard that Mr Le Vell is accused of touching the girl sexually, digital penetration, and forcing her to touch him indecently, as well as a series of rapes. Mr Le Vell allegedly told the child: “It’s our little secret, no one needs to know otherwise... you’ll die and the evil will come over you.”
Ms Laws said Mr Le Vell would speak to another adult, who cannot be named for legal reasons, about his problems and referred to a “secret” he had and said to the other person that they would “not believe what was inside his head”.
After his arrest, Mr Le Vell told officers the allegations were a “pack of absolute lies” and he has maintained his innocence throughout.
Mr Le Vell, who lives in Hale, Cheshire, is originally from Manchester. He first joined Coronation Street in 1983 and quickly endeared himself to fans, who have followed the trials and tribulations of Kevin, from Brian Tilsley’s apprentice mechanic through to his stormy marriage to Sally, played by Sally Dynevor.
ITV has said he will not be appearing in any further episodes of the soap pending the outcome of legal proceedings.
The trial continues.
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