SOUTHWARK LONDON: Sir Elton John, who told the court his middle name is 'Hercules', amazed many people when he defended Kevin Spacey, who is on trial for sexual assault charges in London. The singer, who was in Monaco, testified via video link and made the Hollywood star smile with his funny remarks.

Spacey is accused of assaulting a man by grabbing his crotch as he drove him to Sir Elton’s White Tie and Tiara ball in Windsor, UK, in 2003. Sir Elton, as reported by Daily Mail, said he remembered Spacey arriving at the event last minute by private jet, wearing a white tie. He also quipped that he didn’t notice anyone in the crowd when he left the Victoria Palace Theatre in London after a show of Billy Elliot, the musical he created, in 2005.

'It could be the Queen and I wouldn’t notice her'

The singer, who testified via video link from Monaco, introduced himself as ‘Elton Hercules John’ to the court. He had three lawyers and an aide with him, who often repeated the evidence as he had trouble hearing. Sir Elton and his husband, David Furnish, both said they did not know the complainant, who claims Spacey assaulted him at their house in Windsor, UK. They also said they could not remember Spacey visiting their home except for the night of the ball in 2003. Sir Elton said he couldn’t recall ever meeting the complainant at any event, joking that if he was making a beeline for his own car after a theatre show, ‘It could be the Queen and I wouldn’t notice her.’

Furnish, who oversaw the annual White Tie and Tiara Ball arrangements, also said he had no recollection of the complainant or interaction with him.

Spacey denies all allegations and calls prosecution’s case ‘weak’

Spacey denies all the allegations against him, involving four men in the UK between 2001 and 2013. He has described the prosecution’s case as ‘weak’ and alleged one complainant was after ‘money, money and then money’. Spacey told Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday that grabbing a man’s crotch is ‘generally not a first move’ he would make when meeting them - and accused one alleged victim of lying for ‘money, money and then money’. He also said he could have sex ‘all the time’ if he wanted to, but he didn’t. He said he was an ‘affectionate person’ who might hug someone after making a ‘first move’. He said every encounter was ‘unique’ and he couldn’t give a ‘rundown’ of what always happened.

Spacey admits misreading signs from one complainant

Spacey admitted that he ‘definitely misread’ signs from one complainant who rejected an alleged sexual grab at a property in the Cotswolds, UK, in the early 2010s. He said he had ‘consensual interactions’ with two other complainants - one who drove him to a showbiz party in London in the early 2000s and another who accused him of ‘drugging’ him before performing a sex act on him.

'I don’t think he would be wearing white tie on a commercial flight'

One of the most amusing moments of the trial came when Sir Elton told Southwark Crown Court that he remembered the Oscar-winning actor arriving at the event last minute by private jet. "He arrived in a white tie. He was on a private jet and came straight to the ball," he said. When asked whether Spacey came straight from the plane, Sir Elton wryly replied, "I would assume so yes, I don’t think he would be wearing white tie on a commercial flight." The defendant, dressed in a grey suit, rocked back in his chair in the dock chuckling at the response, the publication noted. The trial in the case continues.