Kevin Spacey: Touching was in my mind romantic, says actor

Actor Kevin Spacey has told a jury touching his accuser was "in my mind romantic" in giving his defence during his trial for sexual assault.

The two-time Oscar winning actor stepped into the witness box to give evidence as his defence started at London's Southwark Crown Court.

He told the jury he was "somewhat intimate" with one of his alleged victims, but denied assaulting him.

The 63-year-old faces 12 sexual offence charges, all of which he denies.

The court heard the complainant alleges the incident happened as he drove Spacey to a showbiz party in the early 2000s.

Giving evidence, Mr Spacey told the court he developed a "flirtatious" relationship over time with the accuser, and that he touched the man in "romantic" and "intimate" ways.

"Yeah, I am a big flirt," he told the court.

Accepting he touched the man, he continued: "It did not happen in a violent, aggressive, painful way.

"It was gentle… and it was, in my mind, romantic."

Mr Spacey said the complainant said things like "this is new for me".

He explained he did not take things further because the alleged victim "made it clear that he did not want to go any further".

Asked for his reaction to the allegations by the complainant, he said: "I was crushed. I never thought the (name of man) I knew over 20 years later would stab me in the back."

The prosecution finished their evidence against the Hollywood star on Wednesday, after the jury heard accounts from his four alleged victims.

During their evidence they variously described him as a "vile sexual predator", "slippery" and "atrocious, despicable, disgusting".

Jurors heard of alleged "aggressive" crotch grabs against three men, while a fourth complainant accused Mr Spacey of having drugged him and performing a sex act on him while he was asleep.

On Wednesday, prosecutor Shauna Ritchie said Mr Spacey told police he was "baffled" by the claims by one man and did not recognise the others.

The actor said he may have made a "clumsy pass" at his final alleged victim but denied deliberately attacking him.

Mr Spacey is accused of sex offences against four men between 2001 and 2013.

He pleaded not guilty in January to three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

He also denies four further charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

All four accusers are entitled to lifelong anonymity under the law.

The Hollywood star won an Oscar for Best Actor in 2000 for American Beauty as well as Emmy nominations for his role in House of Cards.