Kevin Spacey’s high-profile trial for sexual assault, taking place in London, England, is drawing to its conclusion.
On Wednesday, prosecutor Christine Agnew presented the final allegations to the jury.
Agnew reminded the jury that ‘four men, unknown to each other’ made allegations the same man, but that this was not simply a ‘strength in numbers’ case.
Variety reported:
“’Four separate men who told friends and relations what happened to them, then told police, then came to court to tell their accounts’, she said. ‘Are they all motivated by ‘money money money’ as you were dramatically told by the defendant when he gave his evidence? Or have they just had enough and are no longer prepared to be the ’secret keeper’ for someone who treated them so badly’.”
It’s far from easy to level allegations at another person, and specially so if it’s a celebrity, she said, adding that the charges violated the victims’ ‘bodily autonomy’.
“And just because the complainants are men doesn’t mean they should have to put up with unwanted touching any more than women should, she said emphatically. ‘Society possibly in 2023 is more sympathetic to women than it is to men in these circumstances’, said Agnew. ‘But why should these men put up with what happened?’”
The prosecutor showed outrage that one of the alleged victims was asked, during cross-examination, whether he had been ‘flattered’ by the actor’s advances. A woman would never be asked that, she pointed out.
“When someone says ‘no’ they mean no,” said Agnew. “It doesn’t matter what they’re wearing or how they react to unwanted advances. They’re still unwanted.”
She admitted being ‘star struck’ cross-examining Elton John, who appeared as a witness for the defense. She urged the jury to disregard the men’s evidence, questioning what they had actually ‘brought to the case’.
“’Don’t be side tracked by the glitter and fame’, Agnew warned. ‘Sir Elton said himself, if it was the Queen [in front of him] he probably wouldn’t have seen her because he had his head down” when heading to his car after exiting a venue’.”
She tried to get the jury to disregard their eventual feelings towards the artist Kevin Spacey, and focus on the actions of the man.
Yahoo reported:
“In a closing speech on Wednesday, prosecutor Christine Agnew KC said the case involves an ‘enormous power imbalance’ and a man who is ‘used to getting his own way’ taking advantage of that.
[…] Ms Agnew said his alleged offending had left the men feeling “diminished” and ‘worthless’, adding: ‘There is no doubt that he is a very famous and lauded actor’.”
Also on Wednesday, some good news for the Spacey defense, as some of the charges were dismissed by the judge.
“On Wednesday, the four indecent assault charges on the indictment against Kevin Spacey, which were alternative counts, were struck off by the judge, due to a ‘legal technicality’ and not as a result of the prosecution abandoning any allegation.”
On Thursday, defense attorney Patrick Gibbs told jurors that there were ‘three liars’ in this case.
Daily Mail reported:
“‘The reason they are lying can possibly only be known to them. The problem with [the fourth complainant’s] evidence is not that he’s a liar, but that he was not exactly sober as he describes – but nor was anyone.’”
Gibbs called the jurors’ attention to the corroborating witnesses’ account, saying they are not ‘independent’ but come from the mouth of the complainant himself.
He reminded jurors that the men came forward to the police after 20 years had passed. He said that none of the dates from the allegations were disproven, and that prosecution now says that ‘dates don’t matter’.
About the accuser that the defense is not alleging to be lying, Gibbs added: “I’m not suggesting that [the man] is gay, but I am suggesting he wouldn’t be the first person to be met with a charismatic, persuasive admirer.”
He may have been ashamed and confused by it, the defense attorney said.
“Perhaps, I don’t know, I’m not a psychiatrist, he later needed to re-describe what happened not only to his brother, but to himself, because that explained a confusing episode in an otherwise conventional life. […] He had the perfect opportunity to rewrite history in those simple terms: ‘I was abused by Kevin Spacey just like the other three people I see the CPS have identified’. That was the moment of greatest opportunity to do that.”
The Jury in Kevin Spacey’s case is expected to start deliberations on Monday.
The disgraced star denies nine charges in total: seven of sexual assault, one of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and one of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
The post Kevin Spacey Trial in the UK Draws to a Close – Prosecution and Defense Make Their Final Allegations – Some of the Charges Are Dismissed on ‘Technical’ Grounds appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.