The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Street stars back Roache
CORONA TION STREET stars yesterday defended William Roache at his sex assault trial.
Soap stalwarts A nne Kirkbride, who plays Roache’s on-screen wife Deirdre Barlow, and Helen Worth, who plays Gail McIntyre, both took to the witness box praising the character of their co-star.
Roache, 81, was the caring and kind “father figure” and “elder statesman” of the show, who looked after younger members of the cast, the jury were told.
The defendant waved and smiled from the dock as his ITV colleagues left the courtroom after giving evidence at Preston Crown Court.
Roache is accused of using his fame and popularity to exploit “starstruck” youngsters for sex in the mid to late 1960s.
His five accusers have told the jury they were assaulted by the actor either while at Granada Studios, in his Rolls-Royce car or at properties he owned.
He faces two counts of rape and four counts of indecent assault involving five complainants aged 16 and under between 1965 and 1971.
Yesterday A nne Kirkbride, 59, told the jury Roache was “always a perfect gentleman” around her.
Ms Kirkbride said she had never seen anything worrying about Roache’s behaviour on set with young women from when she joined the show in about 1972.
Louise Blackwell QC, defending, asked: “Your contact with him in terms of a man and woman together, how did he behave?”
Ms Kirkbride said: “Impeccably. He was always a perfect gentleman.”
The barrister asked: “When you first joined was there anything about his behaviour towards young women which was worrying?” “Not at all,” said the actress. “No, never.” Helen Worth, 63, who plays Gail McIntyre in the soap, told the jury she joined the show in 1974, aged 23.
Miss Blackwell asked her how Roache behaved among the cast.
She replied: “He had been there longer than anyone else. We looked up to him. He was a father figure. A n elder statesman.”
The barrister asked: “During the time that you worked with him, how would you describe his character, particularly in reference to young women?”
Ms Worth said: “He was caring. Never anything more. Just caring. What more can a man be? He was lovely.”
Miss Blackwell said to her: “Did you see him in the company of young female cast members?” “Yes, of course,” she said. “I never saw anything that was untoward whatsoever in 40 years.”
Fellow cast member Chris Gascoyne, 45, who has played Ken Barlow’s son Peter since 2000, was next to be called to the witness box.
“Is there anything you have ever seen about his character that would give you cause for concern about his contact with young women?” Miss Blackwell asked. “No,” Mr Gascoyne replied. Roache denies all the charges and has told the jury he has never even met any of his alleged victims.
The trial resumes today.