Featured Image Credit: Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images/Neil Mockford/Getty Images
Topics: Celebrity, Crime, US News, Kevin Spacey
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Celebrity, Crime, US News, Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey has been found not guilty of sexual assault against four men following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.
Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey had tears in his eyes as a jury cleared him of nine sex offences.
The Hollywood star, 64, had been on trial at Southwark Crown Court in London after being accused of sexually assaulting four men in the between the years 2001 and 2013.
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Over the course of the trial, each of Spacey’s four accusers gave evidence, dubbing him a 'vile sexual predator', 'slippery' and 'atrocious, despicable, disgusting'.
During the trial, one complainant claimed the actor 'aggressively' grabbed his crotch while he drove him to a lavish showbiz party hosted by Sir Elton John in the early 2000s.
Jurors rejected the prosecution’s claims that Spacey had 'aggressively' grabbed three men by the crotch and had performed a sex act on another man while he was asleep in his flat.
The court was told Spacey allegedly grabbed another man’s crotch 'like a cobra' after meeting him at a West End theatre in the mid-2000s following an alleged 'barrage of vile comments'.
The House of Cards actor was also accused of having had a 'panicked' look on his face after a third man rejected an alleged sexual grab at a property he was staying at in the Cotswolds back in the early 2010s.
The American Beauty actor denied all charges and said the allegations against him were 'madness', 'absolute b***cks' and a 'stab in the back'.
Spacey claimed the men were financially motivated by their allegations and that one victim was after 'money, money, and then money'.
Under questioning from Spacey’s lawyer, Patrick Gibbs KC, the complainants all denied either seeking financial gain, attempting to further their career or giving false accounts to the jury.
In a previous preliminary court hearing which took place last month, Gibbs said his client 'strenuously denies any and all criminality in this case'.
After 12 hours and 26 minutes, the jury panel acquitted Spacey of seven counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
A number of famous names were mentioned during the trial, with the 'Rocket Man' singer himself even being called as a defence witness.
Spacey could be seen holding his hand on his chest while mouthing the words 'thank you' through tears twice as the jury were discharged before embracing his legal team.