Another British entertainment figure defends himself against child rape allegations

VETERAN broadcaster and convicted paedophile Stuart Hall is not a rapist “whatever his shortcomings”, his barrister has told a jury.

Hall is alleged to have plied two young girls with drink and repeatedly raped them on various dates more than 35 years ago, including in his BBC studio dressing room in Manchester.

The former It’s A Knockout presenter has pleaded not guilty to all 20 allegations of rape and indecent assault he currently faces.

Last year, Hall, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, pleaded guilty at the same court to 14 offences of indecent assault against 13 girls or young women and was jailed for 15 months. The sentence was later increased to 30 months at the Court of Appeal.

After prosecutor Peter Wright opened his case against Hall today at Preston Crown Court, Hall’s barrister Crispin Aylett was allowed by the judge to make a short opening statement of his own.

He said: “The defendant says in his pleas of not guilty that whatever his shortcomings, whatever he has done - and none of this should have happened - he says ‘I am not a rapist’, and that in due course is the issue you will have to decide.”

Mr Aylett told the jury: “To people of a certain age, Stuart Hall will be known as the presenter of It’s A Knockout, a good-natured TV programme in which members of the public cheerfully made fools of themselves on camera.