Jury retires to consider verdict in Kevin Spacey sexual offences trial

The jury in the sex offences trial of Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey has been sent out to begin its deliberations.

The Hollywood star, standing trial under his full name Kevin Spacey Fowler, was labelled a "sexual bully" when proceedings began last month.

The 63-year-old denies nine charges including sexual assault, which are alleged to have been committed between 2001 and 2013 in locations including London and Gloucestershire.

Mr Justice Mark Wall sent jurors out to consider their verdicts on Monday.

Over the course of the trial at Southwark Crown Court, each of Spacey's four accusers have given evidence, variously describing him as a "vile sexual predator", "slippery" and "atrocious, despicable, disgusting".

Jurors have been told of alleged "aggressive" crotch grabs against three men, while a fourth complainant accused the defendant of having drugged him and performing a sex act on him while he was asleep at his flat.

Under questioning from Spacey's lawyer, Patrick Gibbs KC, the men all denied either seeking financial gain, attempting to further their career or giving false accounts to the jury.

Spacey himself labelled the allegations against him as "madness" and a "stab in the back", and told jurors he "did not have a power wand that I waved in front of people's faces whenever I wanted someone to go to bed with me".

The Hollywood star denies 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.

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