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Jury sent out in Rolf Harris trial

19 June 2014 Last updated at 12:39  Rolf Harris, his niece Jenny (l) and daughter Bindi (r) on 18 June Rolf Harris has been accompanied by family members throughout the trial The jury in the case of TV entertainer Rolf Harris, who is accused of a string of indecent assaults, has retired to consider its verdicts.

The attacks were alleged to have taken place against girls and young women aged seven to 19, including a childhood friend of Mr Harris's daughter, Bindi.

The 84-year-old, of Bray, Berkshire, denies 12 counts of indecent assault at Southwark Crown Court.

Some of the allegations against him date back as far as the 1960s.

During his trial prosecutors claimed the entertainer was a "Jekyll and Hyde" character, who had a dark side to his personality and used his fame to abuse underage girls with impunity.

But his defence team told the jury that Harris's reputation had been "trashed" by a prosecution that did not reach the standard of criminal proof.

Summing up the case Mr Justice Sweeney warned the jury - made up of six men and six women - against being swayed by emotion.

He said: "Neither media nor internet nor speculation nor emotion of any type can have any part whatsoever to play in your deliberations."


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