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Dave Lee Travis trial jurors begin third day of deliberations

Eight women and four men on jury have been instructed to return with unanimous verdicts on the 13 charges against TravisThe jury in the trial of Dave Lee Travis has begun a third day of considering indecent assault charges against the ex-BBC star.

The eight women and four men on the jury have been instructed to return with unanimous verdicts on 13 counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault against Travis.

The four-week trial at London's Southwark crown court has heard how Travis allegedly indecently assaulted women on Top of the Pops, live on-air on BBC Radio 1 and Radio 4 and backstage at a Showaddywaddy concert.

The 68-year-old broadcaster is accused of molesting 11 women, including a 15-year-old girl, over a 30-year period from 1976.

Travis, on trial under his real name David Patrick Griffin, denies all the charges.

The veteran DJ arrived at court on Wednesday by the side of his wife of 42 years, Marianne, who appeared at his trial for the first time on Monday.

Earlier this week Travis was supported in court by two of his former personal assistants, Amanda Townley and Margaret Merritt, a former backing singer in the 1970s pop band Pickettywitch.

Townley and Merritt both gave evidence as character witnesses during his trial, describing the former Radio 1 DJ as a "kind gentleman" and "like a big brother" when they worked for him in the 80s and 70s respectively.

The pair sat with Marianne alongside more than a dozen journalists and spectators in the courtroom's public gallery, behind Travis in the glass-encased dock, when jurors were sent home on Tuesday evening.

Summing up the case last week, judge Anthony Leonard told jurors they must ignore the acquittal of Coronation Street actor William Roache in their deliberations.

They were also instructed to disregard criminal proceedings against other celebrities, including the Australian entertainer Rolf Harris.

Judge Leonard told the jury on Friday: "You won't be unaware that the Jimmy Savile inquiry has spawned a number of inquiries into various people who were well known in the 1970s and beyond. During the course of this trial alone Rolf Harris has appeared here and of course Bill Roache has been tried elsewhere.

"The verdicts of the jury in the Bill Roache trial are all irrelevant to your consideration of this case. There is no such thing as guilty or innocence by association. You have no way of assessing the strengths or weaknesses of any other investigations, but you can in this trial."

Josh Hallidaytheguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Reported by guardian.co.uk 21 hours ago.

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