English
British actor, writer, and director Noel Clarke pleaded not guilty to six sexual offense charges on Wednesday. The hearing took place in a courtroom at Westminster Magistrates Court in London. The charges include two counts of sexual assault, three counts of voyeurism, and one count of exposure. According to prosecutors, the alleged offenses involved five women and occurred between 2007 and 2016.
Charges and Court Appearance
Clarke appeared in court on Wednesday morning and denied all six charges. The Metropolitan Police charged him last month after the Crown Prosecution Service reviewed a file of evidence and authorized the case to proceed. He is next due in court on November 18.
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The Crown Prosecution Service operates as the United Kingdom’s equivalent of a district attorney’s office. It decides whether criminal charges should proceed based on the available evidence.
Clarke’s Career and Earlier Controversy
Clarke built a strong reputation in British film and television over many years. He played dimension-hopping hero Mickey Smith in the long-running series Doctor Who. He also earned critical praise for writing and directing the teen drama trilogy Kidulthood, Adulthood, and Brotherhood.
In addition, Clarke co-wrote the Sky drama Bulletproof alongside actor Ashley Walters. The series ran for three seasons before Sky cancelled it in spring 2021. The cancellation followed a Guardian article that detailed multiple sexual misconduct allegations against Clarke. At the time, he denied all of those claims.
Clarke Lost Libel Case Against The Guardian
Clarke later brought a libel claim against The Guardian over its reporting. However, he lost that case last year. The presiding judge, Justice Steyn, ruled in favor of The Guardian and found that the newspaper’s reporting was “substantially true.” Justice Steyn also found Clarke to lack credibility as a witness.
As a result of losing the libel case, Clarke faced a significant financial penalty. The court ordered him to pay £3 million, equivalent to approximately $4 million, toward The Guardian’s legal costs.
Clarke now faces the criminal charges separately from that civil case. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 18.
