- Stars rush to congratulate popular actor on yesterday's not guilty verdicts
- 'Two years of hell' had Le Vell on 'suicidal' 28 pint drinking sessions
- His on-screen wife Sally leads the tributes from Coronation Street
- Star, who has played Kevin Webster for 30 years, is set to go back
- Sources say £250,000 deal to be signed for dramatic Christmas return
- He denied 12 sex offences against a young girl, including five of rape
- Jury at Manchester Crown Court took 5 hours to clear him of all charges
Michael Le Vell today emerged from his home in a dressing gown following last night's boozy celebration after being cleared of child rape.
It came as fellow Coronation Street stars rushed to back the 'strong' actor and declared 'justice was done'.
The 48-year-old's acquittal yesterday ended 'two years of hell' for the 'suicidal' actor who went on drinking sessions where he would sink up to 28 pints during three-day binges.
Mr Le Vell, who has played mechanic Kevin Webster for 30 years, is set to sign a new £250,000-a-year deal and could be back on the Street in a dramatic Christmas storyline, ITV sources have said.
Morning after: Michael Le Vell popped outside his house in a black dressing gown today as he recovers from a night of celebrations following his acquittal at Manchester Crown Court yesterday
Off out: Later he left the Cheshire home with a minder while grinning and giving a thumbs up to photographers outside
But in July he told friends he contemplated killing himself before going on a 72-hour drinking session where he gulped down almost 30 £2.30 pints in his local pub in Cheshire.
'Michael is a fighter and even though suicide crossed his mind, he would never have gone through with it. Ultimately, he’s too strong a person and character,' one friend said.
Others called the child abuse case a 'celebrity witch-hunt' and 'vindictive', questioning why it was brought to court after prosecutors first decided there was not enough evidence.
New start: Mr Le Vell's friends said the actor, 48, was left suicidal by the court case, which ended in not guilty verdicts yesterday
Cheerful: The soap star then waved to people who cheered him in the street before rushing into a waiting car
Sally Dynevor, who played the 48-year-old's on-off wife Sally for more than 20 years said: 'I'm really pleased for Michael and looking forward to him putting this behind him and coming back to work'.
Helen Flanagan, who was Kevin's daughter Rosie, tweeted: 'Justice. Strong man. X.'
His other Corrie daughter Brooke Vincent, who plays Sophie Webster, published a picture of her soap family and declared she was: 'Buzzin!'.
Other stars also backed Le Vell within minutes of the not guilty verdicts at Manchester Crown Court yesterday afternoon.
Kym Lomas, who plays Michelle Connor, said: 'Amazing news for all the Corrie family!! #justice.'
Ryan Thomas, who plays Jason Grimshaw called Le Vell to congratulate him.
'Just spoke to Mike and im very pleased to say he’s NOT guilty!!!!!! Yesssssss!! Best news ever!!!!,' he tweeted.
Sophie Webster: Brooke Vincent, who plays Kevin's youngest soap daughter declared she was: 'Buzzin!' half an hour after the verdict
Rosie Webster: Helen Flanagan, the eldest of the Corrie children was one of many who tweeted it was 'justice' for Kevin
Michelle Connor: Star Kym Lomas spoke for the whole cast when she said: 'Amazing news for all the Corrie family!! #justice.'
Steve Huison, who starred for three years as lazy bones Eddie Windass wrote: 'Maybe now we can finally have a debate about false accusation. I hope the hang ’em and shoot ’em brigade are thoroughly ashamed.'
Support: Michael Le Vell's friends on Coronation Street widely congratulated him but it has emerged how he went on 'suicidal' drinking binges before the trial
Ken Morley, 70, who played supermarket manager Reg Holdsworth in Coronation Street, said: ‘There was never any physical or forensic evidence or psychiatric report. I think it will make people revise their attitudes and realise there has been an element of hysteria.
‘The guy must have been put through hell. I can’t imagine the effect on his life.’
Former Street stalwart Bruce Jones. who played Les Battersby said he was 'over the moon' and 'so, so proud' of Le Vell, who he said could start rebuilding his life.
'My wife and I went to see him a month before the trial and he was quite up and he was quite adamant that he was going to clear his name and, thank God, his name has been cleared and God bless you Michael,' Jones said.
'Michael was getting support from all over the place, a lot of support, and I am so, so proud of him now that he can go back to work, get on with his life, start rebuilding his life. Remember that he has lost two years of his life.'
Asked on ITV Day Break if he had been aware that Le Vell had a drink problem, Jones said: 'I have been for a drink with Michael, I have never seen him go off the rails. I have been to football with him, I have played football matches with him, and I have never seen him like that.
'Maybe the last two years has put him there. Maybe the way he has been treated and the way he has been pursued by the press, I think that would turn anyone over the edge. I really don’t think Michael had that problem until the last two years.'
David Platt: Jack P Shepherd, who has been in the soap since 2000, admitted that like the star he might celebrate with a pint
Jason Grimshaw: Actor Ryan Thomas, spoke to Michael Le Vell to congratulate him and after the verdicts yesterday
Curly Watts: One of the Street most famous sons, Kevin Kennedy, tweeted this simple message
Sean Tully: Corrie cast-pal Antony Cotton posted: 'The truth will always out' shortly after he was cleared
Celebrating: Within minutes of the not guilty verdicts, Michael Le Vell was driven to a hotel near the crown court where he started sinking pints with his family and friends
Relief: The Coronation Street actor, one of Britain's best-loved soap stars, is hugged by his sister Sue on the steps of Manchester Crown Court
Relief: The 48-year-old was tried under his real name, Michael Turner, and he waved to fans to celebrate being found not guilty of rape and sexual assault of a child
The popular Coronation Street star, 48, walked free after a jury decided unanimously that he did not carry out a series of assaults on a six-year-old girl.
But Le Vell’s angry family and friends questioned why child-sex charges were ever brought. They claimed the actor was the victim of a hysteria prompted by last year’s Jimmy Savile scandal and accused the Crown Prosecution Service of targeting stars.
Last night Le Vell’s aunt, Pat Gallier, 67, said: ‘The police seem to be arresting celebrities and accusing them of child-sex offences without seeming to check if there’s enough evidence. Michael’s been caught up in this witch-hunt.
‘This has changed him – people will never look at him the same again.’
As Le Vell walked free, it emerged that the CPS initially ruled there was insufficient evidence to charge him after his arrest in September 2011.
But the decision of Nazir Afzal, Chief Crown Prosecutor in the North West, not to prosecute was over-ruled by Alison Levitt QC, the principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions for England.
The victim’s mother made a formal complaint in February 2012 and asked for the decision to be reviewed. The girl also made further allegations and the actor was charged in February this year.
Last night Le Vell’s on-off girlfriend, teaching assistant Blanca Fouche, 32, said: ‘It’s not a relief as we all knew he was innocent anyway. But we’re very happy.’
Free man: Mr Le Vell was swept from Manchester Crown Court after being cleared of child sex charges to a hotel bar
Salute: The actor's family and loved-ones toasted him as they digested the news he had been cleared
Group hug: The star paid tribute to his siblings and others who had supported him through the difficult case
Phil Middlemiss – who played Des Barnes in the soap – said: ‘It seems like a witch-hunt against celebrities. They’ve always been easy targets.
‘I know one thing – nothing ever, ever made me think that Michael would be guilty of it.’
Charged with 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 maintained his innocence from the start.
Manchester Crown Court heard claims the actor had raped a six-year-old girl in her bed.
The girl sobbed profusely as she told a jury she had been repeatedly abused by the soap star over a period of nine years.
She told the court: ‘He said I was safe and he was just getting rid of all the evil and all the bad that was me.’ The girl cannot be named and gave evidence from behind a screen.
Le Vell, real name Michael Turner, who lives in Hale, Cheshire, admitted in court he was a heavy drinker who had sought help from Alcoholics Anonymous.
Le Vell also admitted he had embarked on a series of one-night stands throughout his marriage to Janette – which ended in 2011 – but he consistently denied all the charges.
Moment of truth: After eight days in court the actor, sketched today, waved to each member of the jury as they cleared him of all charges
Reaction: He then turned to his family and friends and sobbed when what had happened sank in
Le Vell stood impassively in the dock at the end of the eight-day trial as the foreman delivered the not guilty verdicts. Outside court he said: ‘I am delighted obviously – it is a weight off everyone’s shoulders.
'I would like to say thank you all for being patient. And I might go and have a drink now.’
His aunt Sandra Bagshaw- Wainwright, 67, said: ‘It was ridiculous that this was ever brought. Maybe it is because he is a celebrity. This has taken a terrible toll on him. He drank before but not as much as he did before the trial. I’m thrilled he has been exonerated.’
ITV ‘LOOKING FORWARD’ TO ACTOR’S RETURN TO CORRIE
Minutes after Michael Le Vell was cleared, Coronation Street bosses said they were ‘looking forward’ to planning his return to the show.
The actor who had played garage mechanic Kevin Webster for 30 years was suspended from the ITV1 soap after he was charged earlier this year.
He last appeared on screen on February 8, when his character was quizzed by police for helping kidnap a friend’s daughter.
To explain his absence, scriptwriters said he was looking after his sick father Bill.
Le Vell described his job as ‘the best in television’ but reportedly feared he would be written out of Coronation Street for good, whatever the outcome of his trial.
But moments after the verdict, ITV said: ‘We are looking forward to meeting with Michael to discuss his return to the programme.’
Bosses on the show have been unable to provide a timetable for any possible return. It has been reported that Le Vell would be offered a new £250,000 contract to stay with the soap if he was cleared.
Asked when he would return to the show, he said: ‘I don’t know, I might have a holiday first. I’ll have to go and have a chat with my boss.’
TV presenter Phillip Schofield tweeted after the verdict: ‘Michael Le Vell not guilty on all charges. It’s bloody ridiculous a man’s life and reputation can be so comprehensively trashed.’
Nigel Pivaro, who played Terry Duckworth on the soap for more than 20 years, said: ‘Michael has suffered grievously for the last two years.’
Following the verdicts, a CPS spokesman said: ‘This case was reviewed in great detail.
‘On the basis of the reviews the CPS concluded that there was sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.
‘On the basis of the reviews the CPS concluded that there was sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.
‘Whilst the CPS needs to consider if a conviction is realistic, the jury needs to be sure that the defendant is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. We of course respect the verdicts they have reached today.’
The CPS also responded to criticism about the number of prosecutions in the wake of the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal.
The spokesman added: ‘There has been a fundamental shift in the way that we assess the credibility of the alleged victims in these cases, as demonstrated by the Savile and recent grooming cases such as that in Rochdale, but the evidential test remains the same.’
The jurors had been told they must decide if the alleged victim was telling the truth or set out to 'quite literally destroy the life' of the actor.
They believed Le Vell, who has played garage mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV1 soap for 30 years and said the girl was a 'liar' and he was a victim of a celebrity witch hunt.
The 48-year-old was never suspended by the ITV soap, and could be free to rejoin after he was cleared today.
Asked when he would return to Coronation Street, Le Vell replied: 'I don't know, I might have a holiday first. I'll have to go and have a chat with my boss.'
Commenting after the verdicts, a spokeswoman for Coronation Street said: 'We are looking forward to meeting with Michael to discuss his return to the programme.'
The 48-year-old was tried under his real name, Michael Turner, and denied 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.
He was accused of sexually assaulting and raping a young girl from the age of six, who cannot be named for legal reasons, including once while she clutched her favourite teddy.
Speech: The 48-year-old said he was delighted and relieved to be found not guilty and was surrounded by his thrilled legal team and loved ones
Plans: Mr Le Vell said he would take a holiday and then speak to bosses at Coronation Street about a return
One man shouted 'get in' when the last verdict was read out.
Le Vell looked round in confusion before he left the dock and was hugged by a supporter.
Cries of relief were then heard as he left the courtroom a free man, with his family members.
During the eight-day trial, the 'demons' in Le Vell's private life were laid bare - his alcoholism and womanising while his wife battled breast cancer.
'HE'S HAD TWO YEARS OF HELL': CORRIE STARS SUPPORT LE VELL
One of Michael Le Vell's closest friends, who was a Street star himself, today spoke of the actor's 'years of hell'.
Nigel Pivaro, who played Terry Duckworth, son of Vera and Jack, praised how calm the 48-year-old had kept.
'He has suffered two years of hell and probably more also due to his high profile far more than most,' he said.
'It has been a long journey for him.
'Now the jury has spoken, he can pick up his career and his life.'
Asked if had spoken to Le Vell, Pivaro said: 'We grabbed a moment, he didn't say much.
'He was probably calmer than anyone around him.
'It is a tremendous relief for all his family who have travelled from around the world to support him. Of course, they are incredibly emotional.'
The court heard of his 'dark secret' that he had enjoyed a string of one-night stands behind the back of his wife of 25 years, Janette Beverley. And he had abandoned the family home to get drunk in the pub each night.
Le Vell told the court he recognised he had a drink problem and had twice attended Alcoholics Anonymous but concluded 'it's not worked out for me'.
'Both lasted two weeks, each attempt,' he said.
'I think the last time was about three years ago... the other time was three years prior to that.'
But while he might be described as a 'weak, stupid and drunk man' and a 'bad husband', he was not a child rapist, his lawyer said.
Le Vell was initially arrested on September 30 2011, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to proceed with the case.
After a review of the evidence following fresh allegations by the girl, Le Vell was re-arrested and charged in February this year.
He first joined Coronation Street in 1983 and quickly endeared himself to fans, who have followed the trials and tribulations of Kevin, from Brian Tilsley's apprentice mechanic through to his stormy marriage to Sally, played by Sally Dynevor.
He did not appear in any episodes of the soap during the legal proceeding but is now very likely to return.
Yesterday his lawyers said he was a weak and stupid alcoholic but he did not rape a girl from the age of six.
Manchester Crown Court was told the Coronation Street actor’s drinking problems were being used against him in a ‘prosecution by cliché’.
But Eleanor Laws QC, for the Crown, insisted the soap star had committed the offences ‘in drink’.
She told the jury to dismiss the idea the 48-year-old was the subject of a witch hunt amid a welter of prosecutions of celebrities.
And she said the alleged victim had nothing to gain by ‘quite literally destroying the life’ of an innocent man.
‘No one likes to think someone they liked or admired has done anything like this,’ Miss Laws added.
‘These offences are not committed by one obvious type of person. They are committed by individuals who are loved by their friends, who have no idea what is going on.’
Alisdair Williamson, defending, told the jury Le Vell should not be found guilty just because he was ‘weak, inadequate and a drunk’.
‘This has been prosecution by cliché,’ he added. ‘Mr Turner drinks a lot, he has his demons. What’s that supposed to mean? He has troubles. What’s that supposed to mean? That’s all the Crown can come up with for a motive.’
He said the evidence put forward by the girl was ‘inconsistent’ and lacked detail and was at times ‘incoherent and unbelievable’.
He said no child pornography was found on Le Vell’s computer, no adults had been uneasy having their children around him and he had no criminal convictions.
He told the jury that if they found the actor guilty they were ‘going to take a man’s life away from him’ and cast him into the ‘outer darkness’.
‘Nothing in this case has taken you anywhere near the level of certainty that you would need so that you can look in the mirror in the days that come and say, “I was sure”,’ he said.
Actor: Le Vell (pictured on Coronation Street in 2008) has been on the show for 30 years and is now set to return after he was cleared today
Famous: After three years in the soap, Kevin Webster married wife Sally in 1986 (left) and their at times stormy marriage and family life has captured the country's imagination for decades
Worry: Sally Webster bursts into tears as she tells Kevin that she has breast cancer during of many explosive storylines they shared over the years
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