This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/feb/07/bbc-stuart-hall-sexual-offence-charges
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Ex-BBC presenter Stuart Hall: sexual offence charges are 'living nightmare' | Ex-BBC presenter Stuart Hall: sexual offence charges are 'living nightmare' |
| (2 months later) | |
| Veteran BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall has described the "living nightmare" of facing sexual offence charges, in an emotional plea of innocence outside court in Preston. | Veteran BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall has described the "living nightmare" of facing sexual offence charges, in an emotional plea of innocence outside court in Preston. |
| Speaking for the first time since the latest allegations surfaced last month, Hall, 83, said he might have considered taking his own life if it was not for the support of his family. | Speaking for the first time since the latest allegations surfaced last month, Hall, 83, said he might have considered taking his own life if it was not for the support of his family. |
| The former It's A Knockout presenter added: "The last two months of my life have been a living nightmare. I have never gone through so much stress in my life and I am finding it difficult to sustain." | The former It's A Knockout presenter added: "The last two months of my life have been a living nightmare. I have never gone through so much stress in my life and I am finding it difficult to sustain." |
| Hall was charged by Lancashire police last month with one count of rape allegedly committed in 1976 against a 22-year-old woman and 14 offences of indecent assault against 10 girls aged between nine and 16, which allegedly took place between 1967 and 1986. | Hall was charged by Lancashire police last month with one count of rape allegedly committed in 1976 against a 22-year-old woman and 14 offences of indecent assault against 10 girls aged between nine and 16, which allegedly took place between 1967 and 1986. |
| Hall appeared strained as he spoke outside Preston magistrates court on Thursday morning, and said he was nursing a heart complaint and would be "very lucky to survive another couple of years". | Hall appeared strained as he spoke outside Preston magistrates court on Thursday morning, and said he was nursing a heart complaint and would be "very lucky to survive another couple of years". |
| He added: "Fortunately I have a very loving family and they are very supportive and I think but for their love I might have been constrained to take my own life. | He added: "Fortunately I have a very loving family and they are very supportive and I think but for their love I might have been constrained to take my own life. |
| "They have encouraged me to fight on, to fight the charges and regain my reputation and good name and whatever I have represented to this country down the years. | "They have encouraged me to fight on, to fight the charges and regain my reputation and good name and whatever I have represented to this country down the years. |
| "With that I would like to thank everybody who has supported me for their good will which has sustained me through this absolutely horrific ordeal." | "With that I would like to thank everybody who has supported me for their good will which has sustained me through this absolutely horrific ordeal." |
| Hall, a father of two, stood beside his lawyer as he spoke to the media. He denied the allegations and described them as "pernicious, callous, cruel and above all spurious" and questioned why they had taken so long to surface. | Hall, a father of two, stood beside his lawyer as he spoke to the media. He denied the allegations and described them as "pernicious, callous, cruel and above all spurious" and questioned why they had taken so long to surface. |
| Hall, who received an OBE in the last New Year honours list, is one of the BBC's longest-serving broadcasters but has not worked since he was first arrested in December. | Hall, who received an OBE in the last New Year honours list, is one of the BBC's longest-serving broadcasters but has not worked since he was first arrested in December. |
| He is one of several prominent broadcasters to have been arrested and bailed since September last year on suspicion of sexual offences. | He is one of several prominent broadcasters to have been arrested and bailed since September last year on suspicion of sexual offences. |
| Lawyers for some of the suspects have said the arrests are part of a "celebrity witch-hunt" prompted by the Jimmy Savile scandal. | Lawyers for some of the suspects have said the arrests are part of a "celebrity witch-hunt" prompted by the Jimmy Savile scandal. |
| • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email media@guardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". | • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email media@guardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". |
| • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook | • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook |
| guardian.co.uk today is our daily snapshot of the top news stories, sent to your inbox at 8am |