Kevin Spacey First Alleged Victim Heard At Southwark Crown Court
Jurors in the Kevin Spacey trial have been shown footage of a police interview with an alleged victim of the Hollywood star in which he said the actor “grabbed me so hard I almost came off the road.”
Spacey’s first alleged victim said he was assaulted more than 10 times by the Oscar-winning actor, including putting his hand on his penis five or six times and assaulting him in other ways around five or six other times.
As the trial in Southwark Crown Court kicks off its second week with testimony from the four complainants, the man who cannot be identified said in the police interview: “He assaulted me when I was with him in his company. He grabbed me in private areas and then tried to get my hands on him. He would try to grope me and try to grab me and make me feel very uncomfortable.”
The alleged victim said he had tried to “blank out” what had happened to him, which started taking place within two to three weeks of meeting Spacey, at which point the actor told the complainant he would introduce him to A-list stars.
“It’s like he thought he could groom me,” added the man in the police interview, who called Spacey a “slipper, snaky, difficult person” and a “very mixed-up individual.”
Describing an incident, the man said: “He grabbed me so hard I almost came off the road. He grabbed me really hard and it really hurt. I pushed him against the door and said ‘don’t do that again or I will knock you out’.”
The man told the officer that Spacey had replied: “That’s such a turn on to me, you’re such a man.”
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, added in his police interview played to jurors: “Obviously being a ‘man’s man’ and a professional I found it quite eerie and just awkward. He made me feel so awkward and uneasy.” He said he “couldn’t stand” working for the star and cannot bring himself to watch any of his films.
“I certainly wasn’t aroused”
During cross-examination, Spacey’s lawyer Patrick Gibbs QC suggested that the alleged victim had become aroused, to which he replied: “I certainly wasn’t aroused, just upset.”
When asked by the actor’s barrister what his reaction was, he said: “I was ashamed, embarrassed and shocked. It wasn’t an easy time for me.”
Continuing his cross-examination of the alleged victim, Gibbs began to ask: “Didn’t what happened between you…”
The man interjected: “Nothing happened between us – he assaulted me.”
He told the jury he “totally 100, one million per cent did not” have any feelings towards Spacey.
“Did what happened lead you to question your own sexuality?” Mr Gibbs asked.
“Not at all. Ridiculous question,” the witness responded.
The 12 jurors are hearing testimony from the first complainant today on the third day of the circa-four-week trial that started last Wednesday. There are three other complainants.
Oscar-winning House of Cards and Se7en star Spacey, who is being tried under his real name Kevin Spacey Fowler, denies the 12 charges against him, including sexual assault and indecent assault, alleged to have been committed between 2001 and 2013.
Complainants’ testimony was set out by defense prosecutor Christine Agnew KC last Friday. Responding, the 63-year-old’s lawyer said jurors will hear “many damned lies” and “some deliberate exaggerations.” Spacey himself may not testify during the trial but is expected to attend each day the court sits.
In an initial court hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June, Spacey’s lawyer said his client “strenuously denies any and all criminality in this case”. Speaking to ZEITmagazin earlier this month, Spacey said “there are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London.”
Before the jury panel was selected for the trial, Mr Justice Mark Wall told prospective jurors: “I am sure the defendant will be gratified to know that many of you will know his name or have seen his films.”
On Wednesday, the judge said the case has “quite obviously” attracted a lot of media attention, but that they “must avoid this coverage where you can”.
Spacey has an address in Waterloo, south London, but also lives in the U.S., where he has family and a dog.
The trial continues.
Source: Deadline
