Neighbours star ‘sexually assaulted’ female actor on stage during sex scene, court hears

Soap star denies all allegations as prosecutor claims he ‘went beyond the role he was directed to perform’

Actor Craig McLachlan indecently assaulted a female co-star during a scene in a stage musical where he was meant to simulate a sex act, a court has heard.

Four women brought forward a series of allegations in Melbourne Magistrates Court against the former star of long-running Australian soap operas Neighbours and Home and Away, at a hearing expected to last three weeks.

Mr McLachlan, 54, is facing multiple charges, including counts of indecent assault, one of attempted indecent assault and others of assault, involving the four complainants who worked with him in a production of The Rocky Horror Show in 2014.

He denies the accusations by the four women.

Speaking about the allegations, prosecution lawyer Matt Fisher alleged Mr McLachlan “went beyond the role he was directed to perform”.

He said the actor assaulted one female co-star during the scene in which he was meant to be simulating a sex act, which took place out of sight of the audience.

Mr McLachlan allegedly kissed her more than 20 times and had once used his finger to trace the outline of the woman’s genitals, Mr Fisher told the court.

Mr Fisher said: “The woman felt as if she was trapped.”

The Australian actor has also been accused of pushing his groin into the stomach area of another woman.

He is also said to have kissed the woman during a show, without being directed to do so, and forced his tongue into her mouth.

Mr Fisher told the court the woman had allegedly said to Mr McLachlan: “Don’t you ever do that to me again.”

The soap star is reported to have replied: “Don’t you dare speak to me like that. You are nothing, I will end you.”

Mr McLachlan’s lawyer Stuart Littlemore will argue some of the alleged incidents did not occur, while others were not indecent.

He said that when Mr McLachlan had given a woman an unexpected kiss on stage, he had the “licence and discretion to ad-lib”.

The four alleged victims will give evidence about the incidents in a closed court.

After the women’s allegations were published, Mr McLachlan initiated defamation proceedings against Fairfax Media, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and a former co-star.

That case has been delayed until after the criminal charges are resolved.

Additional reporting by Press Association