Former Britain’s Got Talent finalist Andrew Johnston admits he’s now hoping to rebuild his life after Southwark Crown Court cleared him of raping two women
Britain’s Got Talent finalist Andrew Johnston says he “lost everything” after being accused of rape. He was cleared of both accusations on Thursday. The former singer, who appeared on the programme and made it to the final in 2008, was accused of raping and sexually assaulting one woman and raping a second.
Andrew, 30, had continued to deny the allegations against him. Prosecutors alleged that he twice took a condom off during sex and continued with the intercourse. One of the women also claims he groped her bottom and kissed her when she saw him at a club.
Following the verdict on Thursday, Andrew told Southwark Crown Court that after five years, he is hoping to get his life back on track. He said: “I’m just glad it’s over – it’s been super stressful.” He went on to say: “It’s been five years of this, people doubting me. And I’ve not been able to say anything for five years.
“So I’ve only just been able to get my say and, thankfully, the right decision has been made. But I just want to go home now and see my dog.” When asked what he thought was next for him, Johnston responded: “Get my life back. Slowly be rebuilding my life because I’ve lost everything over this last five years.”
Johnston, who wore a grey suit, held his head in his hands as the verdict was read out. He added to the court that he had “never sung a note” since the allegations emerged, while saying that the women had told “a pack of lies.”
He described his lovemaking as “fast, energetic, maybe a bit passionate” but added that he was never aggressive, always used a condom and that the sex was consensual. The jury of nine women and three men cleared him of all the charges.
The alleged offences happened a number of years after Johnston shot to fame as a choirboy on the ITV show, Maryam Syed KC, prosecuting, told the jury previously.
Ms Syed said Johnston, of Carlisle, Cumbria, had been “engaging in consensual sexual activity” with one of the women, but he allegedly removed his condom, and she “repeatedly told Mr Johnston to stop” – but he did not. The other woman told police she engaged in consensual sex with the singer and asked him to use a condom.
The woman said she started to feel his hands around her neck and “no matter how many times she removed them”, he kept putting his hands back around her throat, Ms Syed said. He then stopped and removed the condom, then carried on with the sex, it was alleged.
The singer, who was born in Dumfries, Scotland, but moved when he was about eight months old, released an album that went to number four in the UK charts and appeared on tour with other Britain’s Got Talent finalists. His mother entered him on BGT where he impressed the judges including Simon Cowell with his version of Pie Jesu and Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven.
He came third and went on to sign a contract with Cowell, released an album that went to number four in the UK charts and appeared in a UK Tour with other finalists.
The early stardom stopped as his voice changed, prompting him to make a shift and sing in a lower range. He told the court: “It went on for a couple of years until my voice started to change. It became a bit difficult to sing the songs I was singing in the show.”
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