Alcoholic Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell told a jury on Friday 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.
But 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 ITV1 soap for 30 years, was cross-examined at length by prosecuting barrister Eleanor Laws QC and steadfastly maintained that his accuser was lying.
Michael Le Vell leaves Manchester Crown Court
Miss Laws repeatedly asserted that he was making up his account "as you go along" and 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 alleged victim), aren't you?"
"No," Le Vell replied.
At the conclusion of the cross-examination, Alisdair Williamson, defending Le Vell, reminded the jury that his client was a man of good character who had never been arrested or interviewed by police prior to these allegations surfacing.
He went on to ask him: "Have you ever got so drunk that you decided to rape (alleged victim)?"
"No," the actor replied.
Earlier the soap star told the jury at Manchester Crown Court that when he spoke about "little dark secrets" in his personal life, he had meant his extra-marital activities and not being a child abuser.
Le Vell agreed he also told the same person that what he had done was "something unforgiveable". But he denied ever saying that they would not believe "what things are inside my head".
"You said that?", asked Miss Laws.
"No," he replied.
The barrister continued: "It would be a very odd thing to have said if you were talking about one-night stands."
Le Vell said: "It would not make sense."
Miss 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," he replied. "There was no abuse going on."
Miss Laws said: "I am going to suggest to you that the secret is not the one-night stands but something far more sinister."
"No," said Le Vell. "I totally disagree."
The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claims Le Vell repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped her, once while she was clutching a teddy bear. Le Vell denies five counts of rape, three of indecent assault, two counts of sexual activity with a child, and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
Le Vell has previously told the court he is an alcoholic who has drunk up to eight pints every night in the pub for most of his acting career.
Miss Laws said: "Because something was troubling you... to go out every night?"
Le Vell replied: "No, I went out every night because I'm working class."
The actor said his wife had allowed him to go out every night.
"So it's partly her fault?" Miss Laws said.
"I'm not blaming her for going out but she enabled me to go out," Le Vell said.
"I suggest you were finding it difficult to live with yourself," Ms Laws said. "Once this abuse started, you just could not stop yourself."
Le Vell replied: "No. Absolutely not."
"And the problem with you is you could do what you wanted to," Miss Laws continued.
"Do you think you were also cosseted in your job?"
"I was cocooned," Le Vell said.
Miss Laws said: "You led quite a charmed life until September 2011 (when he was first arrested)?"
Le Vell agreed he led a "luxury, charmed life because of my job".
Miss Laws went on: "Luxury but troubled because something was eating you up?"
"No," Le Vell said.
The prosecutor put it to 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?" Miss Laws said.
Le Vell replied: "It never happened."
Miss 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."
Le Vell replied: "No."
Miss Laws: "Rubbing up her leg?"
Le Vell: "Definitely not."
Miss Laws: "Rubbing her, 'I'm just getting rid of the evil'."
Le Vell: "No."
Miss Laws: "And it moved on to you making her touch your penis?"
Le Vell: "No, not at all."
Miss Laws: "Then it moved on to touching her intimately?"
Le Vell: "No."
Miss Laws: "You started to rape her?"
Le Vell: "No."
Miss Laws: "She just lay there, didn't she?"
Le Vell: "No, because it didn't happen."
Miss Laws: "She was not resisting, there was nothing to stop you except yourself. You did it, didn't you?"
Le Vell: "No."
Miss Laws continued to press the defendant on the details of the allegations.
"You tried to cover up her mouth with the teddy?" she said.
"No, because it didn't happen," he responded.
"Getting rid of the evil," continued the barrister.
"No," he said.
"Making it her fault," said Miss Laws.
Le Vell replied: "No."
"Keeping it quiet," she continued.
"No, not at all," said the actor.
"Then it stopped," said Miss Laws.
"It never even started," he replied.
As he continued to give his version of events, Miss Laws said: "Are you making this up as you go along?"
He said: "No, this is fact."
Miss Laws said: "You could not help yourself, could you?"
Le Vell said firmly: "It did not happen."
The barrister said the defendant had been "found out" in his police interviews.
Le Vell replied: "There's no script for this, you just say what's in your head.
"I was shocked and stunned."
Miss Laws said: "You thought you had got away with it."
Le Vell: "There's nothing to get away with."
Sending the jury of eight women and four men home for the weekend, Judge Michael Henshell said he felt no need to repeat the directions he gave at the start of the trial. But he told jurors: "It would be very difficult to ignore the publicity surrounding this case but you know you are the people who decide it.
"Do not allow yourself to be influenced by anything you see or read."
The case was adjourned until 10am on Monday when closing speeches from both barristers will take place, the judge will sum up the trial and the jury is expected to retire to consider its verdicts.