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| William Roache acquitted of one of seven abuse charges | William Roache acquitted of one of seven abuse charges |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Coronation Street star William Roache has been cleared of one of seven sex abuse charges at his trial, on orders of the judge. | Coronation Street star William Roache has been cleared of one of seven sex abuse charges at his trial, on orders of the judge. |
| Jurors at Preston Crown Court were directed to acquit Mr Roache of the indecent assault charge because of insufficient evidence. | |
| Mr Roache, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, is still on trial over two rape and four indecent assault allegations. | Mr Roache, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, is still on trial over two rape and four indecent assault allegations. |
| He denies the charges, which relate to incidents between 1965 and 1971. | He denies the charges, which relate to incidents between 1965 and 1971. |
| The offences are alleged to have involved five women aged 16 and under. | The offences are alleged to have involved five women aged 16 and under. |
| 'No actual memory' | |
| The allegation the jury were directed to find Mr Roache not guilty of, was one of two made by a woman who said she was 14 when the defendant twice made her perform a sexual act in his car in 1965. | |
| The court heard she was picked up by the actor from the Granada Studios in his Rolls-Royce and thought she had been indecently assaulted but had "no actual memory" of the episode. | |
| Judge Mr Justice Holroyde told the jury: "In relation to that episode, the witness was not giving evidence that it did happen, she was giving evidence that she was thinking it did happen and that is not a sufficient evidential basis for the conviction of an offence." | |
| "Mr Roache is entitled to a not guilty verdict on that charge." | |
| Anne Whyte QC, prosecuting, told the jury: "We do not invite you to convict on any allegation where the witness has no recollection." | |
| Signed photograph | |
| A juror entered a not guilty verdict on the charge when asked by the clerk. | |
| Mr Roache still faces the second allegation by the same woman, that he assaulted her in the male toilets at Granada Studios in Manchester, earlier the same year. | |
| Jurors were previously shown a letter and signed photograph Mr Roache sent to her after the alleged incident, in which he asked to her write back to him when she returned to school. | |
| The defence is due to start on Tuesday and Mr Roache is expected to give evidence. |