Kevin Spacey wins ruling in UK civil trial over sex assault claim

Actor Kevin Spacey has won a bid to fight a civil trial over an allegation that he sexually assaulted a man.

The man claims he was assaulted in 2008 and, as a result, has "suffered psychiatric damage and financial loss".

The civil claim was paused after Mr Spacey was charged - and later acquitted - in criminal proceedings of a number of sexual offences.

The hearing comes after the star denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour aired in a documentary on Channel 4.

Spacey Unmasked, which was broadcast on Monday, featured testimony from several men.

'Genuine error'

Last year Spacey was found not guilty of all charges of sexual assault against four men between 2001 and 2013.

One of those four complainants, who has been granted anonymity by the court, separately sued Spacey in a civil lawsuit at London's High Court in July 2022 but the lawsuit was paused until the outcome of the criminal trial.

Earlier this year, a judge granted the unknown man a "judgement in default" - a ruling in his favour without a trial - after Spacey's lawyers failed to serve a defence to the lawsuit in time.

In court on Tuesday, Adam Speker KC, Spacey's lawyer, said this was a "genuine error" by his legal team and argued that it would unfair for the claimant to effectively win his lawsuit against Spacey without a trial when he had been "disbelieved on oath by a jury".

Judge Jeremy Cook overturned the judgement in default against the actor.

He said: "The defendant's solicitors have made an error.

"In my view, that error should not be visited upon the defendant."

Spacey was not in attendance and a date for the trial is yet to be confirmed.

Spacey spoke to former GB News presenter Dan Wootton ahead of the documentary and said he would not allow himself to be "baselessly attacked without defending himself".

Mr Spacey told Mr Wootton: "I take full responsibility for my past behaviour and my actions but I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologise to anyone who has made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about me."