I AM GRATEFUL AND HUMBLED

Spacey weeps after jury clears him of multiple sex assaults on younger men

- AMY-CLARE MARTIN

KEVIN Spacey wept and said he was humbled after he was cleared of multiple sex assault charges yesterday.

The star sobbed in the dock on his 64th birthday as he was found not guilty of nine counts against four younger men.

The House of Cards star put his hand on his chest and twice mouthed "thank you" to the Southwark crown court jury, which took 12 hours and 26 minutes to acquit him.

He faced of seven counts of sexual assault, one of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and one of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

On the court steps after the four-week trial, the actor who won Oscars for American Beauty and Usual Suspects fought back tears. He said: "I'd like to say I'm enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and facts carefully before they reached their decision and I am humbled by the outcome. A number of jurors met the A-lister after the hearing, with one shaking the actor's hand.

One member of the public outside the central London court called out "we love you" as Spacey climbed into a taxi.