Publicist Max Clifford Found Guilty of Eight Indecent Assaults

Publicist Max Clifford has been found guilty of eight indecent assaults, after eight days of deliberations by a jury at Southwark Crown Court. He was found not guilty of two charges, and the jury failed to reach a verdict on another.

On Thursday the jury was called in by the judge and told that they would be able to deliver a majority of 9 to 1. After three further days deliberations the jury came back with the verdict. There were only ten jurors as two had dropped out during the trial.

In court Clifford was described as a “professional manipulator” who offered women parts in films and access to celebrities in exchange for sex acts.

He was arrested in December 2012 by the Metropolitan Police as part of Operation Yewtree, a widespread investigation into allegations made by people after the death of Sir Jimmy Saville. Saville is now widely accepted to have been one of Britains’ worst ever sex offenders, however he got away with it because he was a DJ and television presenter.

After his crimes were exposed large number of alleged victims of other celebrities began coming forward.

Clifford was charged with eleven indecent assaults dating back from 1966 – 1985 on victims aged from 14 to 19 years old. Clifford had previously described the allegations against him as “completely false”.

The 71 year old had built a career on selling ‘kiss and tell’ news stories. He also invented the “Freddie Starr Ate My Hampster” frontpage of the Sun Newspaper. He also ended Tory Cabinet Minister, David Mellor’s career by exposing his extra marital affair.

Clifford told the press that Mellor had worn a Chelsea Football shirt during sex, it was untrue but made the story far more embarrassing for Mellor. The former cabinet minister told Sky News: “I don’t normally bear grudges but I make an exception for Max Clifford. I hope he rots in hell.”