Le Vell denies drunken rape of girl

Alcoholic Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell told a jury that he had never got so drunk that he raped a young girl

The soap actor has admitted he has a drink problem, had a number of one-night stands while married, and also cheated on his wife while she underwent chemotherapy for breast cancer.

However, he repeatedly denied his troubled personal life had led him to become a child abuser.

The 48-year-old, who has played garage mechanic Kevin Webster in the soap for 30 years, was cross-examined at length by prosecuting barrister Eleanor Laws and steadfastly maintained that his accuser was lying.

Ms Laws concluded by putting it to him: “You have already accepted that you are not Coronation Street Kevin. You are the troubled Michael Turner [his real name] who has been abusing [the victim], aren’t you?”

“No,” Le Vell replied.

At the conclusion of the cross-examination, Alisdair Williamson, defending Mr Le Vell, asked him: “Have you ever got so drunk that you decided to rape [victim]?”

“No,” the actor replied.

Earlier, the soap star told the jury at Manchester Crown Court that when he spoke about his “little dark secrets”, he had meant his extra-marital activities and not being a child abuser.

Mr Le Vell agreed he also told the same person that what he had done was “something unforgivable”.

However, he denied ever saying that they would not believe “what things are inside my head”.

“You said that?” asked Ms Laws. “No,” he replied.

Ms Laws said: “I am going to suggest to you that what you were referring to was the abuse that was going on?”

“No, not at all,” Mr Le Vell replied. “There was no abuse going on.”

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claims Mr Le Vell repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped her, once while she was clutching a teddy bear.

Mr Le Vell denies five counts of rape, three of indecent assault, two of sexual activity with a child, and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

The prosecutor put it to Mr Le Vell that he groomed the victim and gradually “pushed the limits”. “Not that you were not ashamed about this, but you could not stop it?” Ms Laws said.

Mr Le Vell replied: “It never happened.”

Ms Laws: “You started to say things to her? Talk to her, say things like ‘it’s OK’. This was grooming.

“It became a little bit more sinister after a while.”

Mr Le Vell replied: “No.”

Ms Laws: “Rubbing up her leg?”

Mr Le Vell: “Definitely not.”

Ms Laws: “Rubbing her, ‘I’m just getting rid of the evil’.”

Mr Le Vell: “No.”

Ms Laws: “And it moved on to you making her touch your penis?”

Mr Le Vell: “No, not at all.”

Ms Laws: “Then it moved on to touching her intimately?”

Mr Le Vell: “No.”

Ms Laws: “You started to rape her?”

Mr Le Vell: “No.”

Ms Laws: “She just lay there, didn’t she?”

Mr Le Vell: “No, because it didn’t happen.”

The case was adjourned until Monday, when the judge will sum up and the jury is expected to retire to consider its verdicts.