GAZZA'S TEARS
Paul Gascoigne weeps in dock as he’s found not guilty of sex assault after kissing ‘fat lass’ to ‘boost her confidence’
PAUL Gascoigne wept today as he was cleared of sexual assault after kissing a woman on a train for a confidence boost when she was called a "fat lass".
The 52-year-old was accused of grabbing the woman "very forcibly on the lips" before putting his tongue into her mouth as they travelled on a train.
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He claimed he was trying to give the woman a "confidence boost" after she was branded a "fat lass" on the service from York to Durham on August 20 last year.
Jurors had been told he "lied, lied and lied" from the beginning - with the ex-Spurs legend breaking down in tears in court as he denied the kiss was sexual.
But they took just two hours and 45 minutes to clear Gazza of sexual assault at Teesside Crown Court.
He was also cleared of an alternative charge of assault by beating this afternoon.
Ex-England star Gascoigne wiped his eye with a tissue and hugged his agent Katie Davies as he left the dock today.
He also bizarrely thanked his dentist after blaming claims he was slurring his words on not having his false teeth in.
The star said: "Thank you, Your Honour, thank you to the jury...and thank you to my dentist.”
Gaaza's statement in full after being cleared of all charges
To have a sexual allegation hanging over me for over 12 months has been so tough.
"I'm so glad I was finally able to portray my side of the story and that the jury come to the correct verdict.
"Thank you very much to my legal team at Cartwright Kings solicitors and my Queens Counsel Michelle Heeley for all their hard work on my behalf.
"I would also like to thank my agent Katie of M&N management, her father Lee and my friends, family - loyal friends who have supported me at this difficult time.
"A special thank you to my character witnesses Ricky, Mel, Jane and Paul, from the Providence Project for taking time out from their busy schedules to tell the court such lovely things about me.
"I'm now looking forward to getting on with my life. Thank you."
Geordie Gazza had allegedly been "shouting and swearing" behind the woman and asked if she was a fortune teller after swigging beer from a milk carton.
He was then said to have "put his hands on her cheeks and kissed her forcefully and sloppily on the lips".
But Gascoigne insisted: “I get kissed all the time. If that’s the case I’ve been sexually harassed for the last 20 years.”
Jurors were shown a video of Gascoigne kissing Princess Diana, Wayne Rooney and a host of other celebrities.
But prosecutor William Mousley QC said of Gascoigne's account: "Right from the start, members of the jury, he lied, and lied, and lied.
"He lied right up to the and including the time when he was giving evidence in court yesterday.
"There's an obvious reason as to why he lied, and that's because he knows he is guilty of sexual assault but wants to put up a smokescreen, cause a diversion, suggest it was not as it so obviously was."
"NOT SEXUAL"
In her own closing speech, Michelle Heeley QC, defending, said: "Quite frankly, the defence case is that you cannot be sure that Mr Gascoigne had a sexual intention."
She added: "In his own naive way, he thought he was making a larger woman have more body confidence."
Gascoigne had insisted he has an instinct to "automatically protect" those who are called fat after he was branded "fat b*****d" and battled bulimia in his playing days.
He told the jury he stuck up for her after cruel passengers branded her "fat and ugly".
The retired footballer says he sat next to her and told her: "Listen, you're not fat and ugly" then kissed her on the lips.
He said the kiss itself was "just a little peck" and that no tongue had been involved.
Gascoigne had a beer in his hand when he was later arrested at a hotel and told a cop: "I know what it's about, I kissed a fat lass."
He claimed he had not been drinking heavily and any impression he had been slurring his words was because he did not have his false teeth in.
'HE KISSES EVERYONE'
Former welterweight champion boxer Ricky Hatton, who has been pals with Gascoigne for a number of years, defended the footballer.
He said: "He is very tactile when he meets me, he rushes over and gives me a hug and sometimes kisses me on the cheek, that is the way he has always been."
Top football agent Mel Stein also gave a character reference as he recalled the ex-Newcastle star greeting a rabbi's wife with a hug and kiss at a bar mitzvah.
Midfielder Gascoigne earned 57 caps for England during his international career and was branded one of the greatest players of his generation.
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He famously broke down in tears at the 1990 World Cup after receiving a yellow card in the semi-final with West Germany - meaning he would not play if England reached the final.
During his career, Gazza enjoyed successful stints at Tottenham, where he helped the team win the FA Cup in 1991, Lazio, Rangers and Middlesbrough.
The ace also played for Everton and later had spells at Burnley and Boston United.
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Spurs and England legend Gazza rolls back the years to slot home penalty in charity game