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| Michael Le Vell says he once got into alleged rape victim's bed after drinking | Michael Le Vell says he once got into alleged rape victim's bed after drinking |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell has acknowledged that he once got into a bed in which his alleged victim was sleeping. | The Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell has acknowledged that he once got into a bed in which his alleged victim was sleeping. |
| But he insisted he had done so after becoming disoriented through drink. "It was innocent," he told the officer who arrested him at his home in Hale, Cheshire, on 30 September 2011, Manchester crown court heard on Thursday. | But he insisted he had done so after becoming disoriented through drink. "It was innocent," he told the officer who arrested him at his home in Hale, Cheshire, on 30 September 2011, Manchester crown court heard on Thursday. |
| Later in the interview Le Vell claimed not to have actually got into the girl's bed. Instead, he said, he had simply briefly lain upon it. | Later in the interview Le Vell claimed not to have actually got into the girl's bed. Instead, he said, he had simply briefly lain upon it. |
| Detective Constable Neil Rothwell asked: "Did you touch X?" | Detective Constable Neil Rothwell asked: "Did you touch X?" |
| Le Vell: "No." | Le Vell: "No." |
| Rothwell: "Did you put your arm around her?" | Rothwell: "Did you put your arm around her?" |
| Le Vell: "No, and if I did I wasn't under the sheets. It wasn't anything sexual." | Le Vell: "No, and if I did I wasn't under the sheets. It wasn't anything sexual." |
| The actor said of his accuser: "That girl is seriously deluded. I can't believe the allegations … they're absolute nonsense. She's telling a pack of lies." | The actor said of his accuser: "That girl is seriously deluded. I can't believe the allegations … they're absolute nonsense. She's telling a pack of lies." |
| Le Vell, 48, who plays the car mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV soap, is appearing in court under his real name, Michael Turner. He denies five counts of rape, three of indecent assault, and two each of sexual activity with a child and causing a child to engage in such activity. | Le Vell, 48, who plays the car mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV soap, is appearing in court under his real name, Michael Turner. He denies five counts of rape, three of indecent assault, and two each of sexual activity with a child and causing a child to engage in such activity. |
| The prosecution alleges that he started abusing the girl by slipping his hand under her clothing as she lay in bed. On one occasion he is said to have raped her as she clutched a teddy bear. | The prosecution alleges that he started abusing the girl by slipping his hand under her clothing as she lay in bed. On one occasion he is said to have raped her as she clutched a teddy bear. |
| He allegedly told her: "It's OK, just keep calm, stay asleep … I'm going to get rid of the evil." | He allegedly told her: "It's OK, just keep calm, stay asleep … I'm going to get rid of the evil." |
| The jury heard on Thursday how Le Vell was arrested at 7.45am on 30 September and taken to the police custody suite at Manchester airport. Once there he was interviewed, with occasional breaks, between 10.45am and 2pm. | The jury heard on Thursday how Le Vell was arrested at 7.45am on 30 September and taken to the police custody suite at Manchester airport. Once there he was interviewed, with occasional breaks, between 10.45am and 2pm. |
| Rothwell told the court: "I told him I was arresting him on suspicion of rape. He didn't make any reply." | Rothwell told the court: "I told him I was arresting him on suspicion of rape. He didn't make any reply." |
| The officer recalled telling Le Vell that his accuser had given her account of the story, and now it was his chance to give his. | |
| He replied: "There's no account and no story." | He replied: "There's no account and no story." |
| Rothwell: "Are you responsible for raping X?" | Rothwell: "Are you responsible for raping X?" |
| Le Vell: "No, not at all … I don't know where these allegations have come from." | Le Vell: "No, not at all … I don't know where these allegations have come from." |
| The officer put it to Le Vell that he was alleged to have raped the girl at the ages of six, nine and 10. | The officer put it to Le Vell that he was alleged to have raped the girl at the ages of six, nine and 10. |
| "No," he said. "Didn't happen, didn't happen … never in a million years." | |
| Asked why the girl would have made such allegations, he replied: "All I can think of is if she's hurt or wants more drama in her life. I've not got a clue. | Asked why the girl would have made such allegations, he replied: "All I can think of is if she's hurt or wants more drama in her life. I've not got a clue. |
| "I just can't fathom where it's come from. I wouldn't do it, I couldn't do it." | "I just can't fathom where it's come from. I wouldn't do it, I couldn't do it." |
| He later said the allegations had left him "walking around in a daze". They amounted to "a life-changing thing", he said, and could cost him his job. | He later said the allegations had left him "walking around in a daze". They amounted to "a life-changing thing", he said, and could cost him his job. |
| Le Vell was asked about the moment he was confronted over the allegations by the girl's mother. "When she told me you could have blew me over. My legs turned to jelly," he said. | Le Vell was asked about the moment he was confronted over the allegations by the girl's mother. "When she told me you could have blew me over. My legs turned to jelly," he said. |
| During one interview the actor was asked to describe his sex life. "Just normal," he said. "No fetishes, no tying up, no chains and whips or anything like that." | During one interview the actor was asked to describe his sex life. "Just normal," he said. "No fetishes, no tying up, no chains and whips or anything like that." |
| In court on Thursday Eleanor Laws QC joined Rothwell in reading out the dialogue between the two men. | In court on Thursday Eleanor Laws QC joined Rothwell in reading out the dialogue between the two men. |
| At one point Rothwell asked Le Vell his occupation. Laws momentarily broke away from the transcript, looked up at Rothwell and asked: "Did you really not know he was an actor?" | At one point Rothwell asked Le Vell his occupation. Laws momentarily broke away from the transcript, looked up at Rothwell and asked: "Did you really not know he was an actor?" |
| The officer replied: "It was a background question to give the person the opportunity to speak." | The officer replied: "It was a background question to give the person the opportunity to speak." |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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