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| Coronation Street's William Roache on trial not Ken Barlow, jury told | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A judge has told a panel of potential jurors that the "real person" William Roache is on trial, not his fictional Coronation Street character. | A judge has told a panel of potential jurors that the "real person" William Roache is on trial, not his fictional Coronation Street character. |
| Mr Justice Tim Holroyde QC said any views of Ken Barlow must be "put out of your mind" to ensure a "fair and independent judgement" can be reached. | Mr Justice Tim Holroyde QC said any views of Ken Barlow must be "put out of your mind" to ensure a "fair and independent judgement" can be reached. |
| Mr Roache, 81, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, denies two counts of raping a 15-year-old girl in East Lancashire in 1967. | Mr Roache, 81, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, denies two counts of raping a 15-year-old girl in East Lancashire in 1967. |
| At Preston Crown Court, he also denies five indecent assaults on four girls. | At Preston Crown Court, he also denies five indecent assaults on four girls. |
| Those alleged offences relate to girls aged from 11 to 16 in Manchester in the mid to late 1960s. | Those alleged offences relate to girls aged from 11 to 16 in Manchester in the mid to late 1960s. |
| Mr Justice Holroyde said: "It is a real person, William Roache, who is on trial. | Mr Justice Holroyde said: "It is a real person, William Roache, who is on trial. |
| "You must separate the fictional character from the real person, you will have to decide verdicts from the evidence you will hear from a real person, about a real person," he added. | "You must separate the fictional character from the real person, you will have to decide verdicts from the evidence you will hear from a real person, about a real person," he added. |
| Jury selected | Jury selected |
| "So you must put out of your mind any views you might or might not have, favourable or unfavourable, of the fictional character Ken Barlow. | "So you must put out of your mind any views you might or might not have, favourable or unfavourable, of the fictional character Ken Barlow. |
| "However, if for any reason any of you feel that you will find it impossible to make a fair and independent judgement on the evidence, uninfluenced by your views about the TV character, then you must say so." | "However, if for any reason any of you feel that you will find it impossible to make a fair and independent judgement on the evidence, uninfluenced by your views about the TV character, then you must say so." |
| The judge said Coronation Street actors Anne Kirkbride, Chris Gascoyne and Helen Worth were among the defence witnesses who would be called during the trial. | The judge said Coronation Street actors Anne Kirkbride, Chris Gascoyne and Helen Worth were among the defence witnesses who would be called during the trial. |
| The trio play the characters Deirdre Barlow, Peter Barlow and Gail McIntyre. | The trio play the characters Deirdre Barlow, Peter Barlow and Gail McIntyre. |
| Following Mr Justice Holroyde's remarks, a panel of eight women and four men were selected and have been sworn into court. | Following Mr Justice Holroyde's remarks, a panel of eight women and four men were selected and have been sworn into court. |
| Mr Roache arrived at the court with his sons Linus and James, and a security guard. The actor's children sat in the public gallery. | Mr Roache arrived at the court with his sons Linus and James, and a security guard. The actor's children sat in the public gallery. |
| The veteran soap star was arrested at his home last May. | The veteran soap star was arrested at his home last May. |
| Mr Roache, who has not appeared in the programme while legal proceedings were ongoing, "strenuously" denies the allegations. | Mr Roache, who has not appeared in the programme while legal proceedings were ongoing, "strenuously" denies the allegations. |
| The trial is scheduled to last up to four weeks. | The trial is scheduled to last up to four weeks. |