|
Home
Page
> Celebs
> News
02 March
2006
Gary Glitter
Trial Begins
Former
rock star Gary
Glitter
has told a Vietnam court on the first day
of his trial he did not commit obscene
acts with two girls, his lawyer has
said.
Glitter,
real name Paul Gadd, faces up to seven
years in jail if found guilty but told
reporters as he arrived at court that he
was innocent.
Prosecutors
say the 61-year-old molested two girls,
aged 11 and 12, at his Vietnam
home.
The
trial is initially behind closed doors as
it involves minors.
He is
alleged to have fondled and kissed the
girls as well as engaged in other physical
acts at a beach house in the resort town
of Vung Tau, southern Vietnam.
A
verdict is expected to be given on
Friday.
Glitter
shot to stardom in the 1970s with hits
such as Rock and Roll (Part 2) and Leader
Of the Gang - a No 1 from 1973.
With his
flamboyant stage persona and over-the-top
costumes, Glitter continued touring for
most of the 1980s and 1990s.
The
former star has repeatedly professed his
innocence, claiming he was teaching the
girls English.
His
lawyer, Le Thanh Kinh, said Glitter and
the two alleged victims had been
questioned in court.
"He
denies all charges," the lawyer said as he
walked out of the courthouse during a
break.
As
Glitter was escorted out of the court for
a lunch break, reporters asked him if the
girls were lying and whether he had
pleaded innocent.
He
nodded in response to both
questions.
Earlier,
the former glam rocker, looking gaunt and
wearing a black T-shirt and black cap, was
met by a crowd of photographers and
reporters as he arrived at the Ba Ria Vung
Tau courthouse.
He has
been in police custody at a jail near Vung
Tau since 19 November when he was arrested
in Ho Chi Minh City about to board a
flight out of the country.
During
the criminal investigation, police had
considered whether to charge him with
child rape, which carries a maximum
penalty of death, but said prosecutors did
not find sufficient evidence.
In
December, Glitter's lawyer made
compensatory payments to the families of
the girls, who have appealed to the courts
for clemency for Glitter.
Glitter
was convicted of possessing child
pornography in Britain in 1999 and served
half of a four-month jail
sentence.
He later
went to Cambodia, which permanently
expelled him in 2002.
Return
To News Index
|
