Former Spandau Ballet singer and West End stage star Ross Davidson has today been found guilty of a series of sex offences against three women.
The ‘charismatic and charming’ sexual predator was convicted of a single charge of rape and two of sexual assault after a six-week trial.
He was also found guilty of a single charge of voyeurism against a fourth woman and remanded in custody ahead of sentencing next month.
The 36-year-old showed no emotion as a jury at Wood Green Crown Court returned majority verdicts after deliberating for almost 12 hours.
They jury were unable to reach verdicts on two other rape charges and he was found not guilty on another sexual assault charge and another of controlling and coercive behaviour.
The trial judge told him:’ You have been convicted of some very serious matters.’
Ross Davidson (pictured) has been found guilty of a series of sex offences against three women
Davidson, who used the stage name Wild, is pictured with fellow Spandau Ballet band mates Martin Kemp, Gary Kemp, John Keeble and Steve Norman
The court had heard how Davidson, who took over as lead singer of the 1980s group famous for hits such as ‘Gold’ and True’ in 2018, revelled in his role as a sex symbol and expected to get ‘sex on demand’.
But prosecutors said his film star looks hid a ‘sinister side’ and he refused to take no for an answer even when one victim pleaded with him to stop after he had demanded sex six times in one night.
The women were unaware he was filming the assaults which he kept on his mobile phone to watch for his own sexual gratification, the trial head.
One of his victims was sexually assaulted after meeting Davidson at the Cannes Film Festival in France in May 2018.
Davidson, who had appeared in the musical ‘We Will Rock You’ based on the music of Queen, was at the festival to discuss a proposed film role.
Another victim who gave evidence at Wood Green Crown Court said she had no idea her assault had been filmed until she was showed footage by the police leaving her distressed and disgusted.
Prosecutors said Davidson would appear to be ‘charismatic and charming’ to the women he met, but the singer hid a ‘darker, sadistic side’ that involved role playing rape and secretly filming the assaults.
He also confessed to a fetish to wanting to have sex with a woman while she was asleep – a pattern that emerged when his victims made statements to police.
Ross Wild performs on stage alongside Steve Norman and Martin Kemp at Eventim Apollo on October 29, 2018
Prosecutor Richard Hearnden said the singer’s good looks and film and stage appearances meant that he was seen as a ‘bit of sex symbol.
‘He is very good looking and physically fit and is said to be charming and charismatic’, he told the court.
‘But all the women in this case can attest to that sinister part of his personality.
‘It is often supposed that men such as the defendant, blessed with good looks and star quality can get any girl he wants without having to force himself on women, without having to resort to rape.
‘He has […] sexually assaulted a number of young women over the last decade.’
Davidson, who used the stage name Wild, took over as lead singer in Spandau Ballet in 2018 after Tony Hadley left the successful pop group know for a string of 190s hits and featuring the Kemp brothers.
He had also appeared in several TV shows as well as a West End show about the life of Elvis.
The rape investigation began in 2019 when police seized a mobile phone and found videos of the sex assaults which took place at his flat in North London, Sand in Cannes, France.
The ‘charismatic and charming’ sexual predator was convicted of a single charge of rape and two of sexual assault after a six-week trial
His first victim, a student, told jurors she was raped after they had an argument at his flat in October 2013.
Davidson told her: ‘This is what you want’ and she recalled him calling her a ‘slut’ and a ‘whore’ before he raped her.
She said during the assault she was in tears, adding: ‘It was obvious it was not my choice for him to be there. I was crying and telling him to get off me.’
The court was told the woman was interviewed in 2015 by police who told her there was not enough evidence to proceed with the investigation.
Davidson was cleared of a charge of sexually assaulting her.
His second victim had told the court Davidson had said his fantasy was to have sex with a sleeping woman and for them to wake up with an orgasm.
Davidson filmed himself groping her breasts as she slept with the victim saying she was disgusted by the video.
In 2018 Davidson stayed at his cousin’s apartment while in the south of France resort of Cannes for the annual film festival. He was attending the event to discuss a possible film role
Davidson (pictured in 2019) was also found guilty of a single charge of voyeurism against a fourth woman and remanded in custody ahead of sentencing next month
His victim said she met Davidson at a party on a yacht and went back to his flat.
She admitted to being ‘quite drunk’ but said she did not fancy Davidson and assumed he was gay until he tried to kiss her.
‘He was not really my type. He’s quite vain, quite a pretty boy and not my cup of tea, she said.
Davidson filmed himself groping his victim as she slept in his bed.
The woman did not initially report the assault to police but later came forward when she heard about his arrest.
‘I felt I had to support the other victims. He’s dangerous, he was going to do it again. There is obviously something wrong with him.’
The woman said she was left ‘absolutely disgusted’ when police played her the film Davidson had made as he groped her.
A fourth victim told the court Davidson filmed her while she was performing oral sex.
When she confronted him, he denied filming and claimed he had been replying to a text message.
Wild performs on stage next to Gary Kemp at the Eventim Apollo on October 29, 2018
The woman told the court Davidson would want sex up to six time a night and would not take no for an answer.
Prosecutor Mr Hearnden said she was being used as a ‘sex slave’.
Davidson maintained his innocence during the trial and said everything was consensual.
Giving evidence the singer said some of the allegations made against him were something ‘only a dog would do.’
He said he had filmed one of his victims to ‘spice things up’ and admitted that two of the women had asked him to delete footage he had filmed, but he had refused.
The guilty verdicts were reached with a majority of 10-2 or 11-1.
The prosecution will now have to decide if they will seek a retrial on two other rape charges with a decision expected by August 9.
