Langham sex trial latest

The Fast Show star was giving evidence for the prosecution at Maidstone Crown Court, where Langham is on trial for indecenct assault on an underage girl and child porn offences.

Langham, from Kent, claimed he downloaded the images when researching a paedophile character in the BBC Two comedy Help, which he wrote with Whitehouse.

Defence QC David Whitehouse asked Mr Whitehouse: ‘I suppose it was the police who told you that Chris Langham had dragged your name into this sordid affair? I should think you were pretty furious?’

Mr Whitehouse, 49, replied: ‘Yes. I was not happy.’

The comic read out a statement Langham made to police in which he said: ‘Again, I don't deny downloading them and these were items I tried to draw to your attention before the search. I would just like to point out that Paul Whitehouse was never a party to this.’

Earlier, prosecutor Richard Barraclough QC asked Whitehouse whether his co-star ever discussed undertaking any research into characters for Help.

He replied: ‘Not to my knowledge, no’.

QC: ‘Was there any discussion in the series to do with sex with little girls?’

Whitehouse: ‘Absolutely not.’

QC: ‘Did Mr Langham tell you he had been researching things like that?’

Mr Whitehouse: ‘No.’

Wearing a blue suit, Whitehouse explained how the BBC asked him and Langham in 2003 to collaborate on Help, in whcih Langham played a therapist and Whitehouse all the patients.

‘I had never worked with Mr Langham or met him before 2003,’ he said. ‘We met to see if we could develop the series. I had some characters I thought would work in that environment. Chris Langham had some suggestions.

‘It was a simple and good idea and one in which we would explore some interesting ideas with it for straight knockabout comedy.

‘We met at his house, sometimes at mine. I didn't do any research whatsoever. I don't think we felt the need to.’

Whitehouse said the characters came from various influences, including people he knew. A Welsh character called Pedro was developed, whose catchphrase was: ‘I am only a minor offender.’

The Fast Show star said he was ill between June and November 2005 – when Langham was arrested - and the pair did not do much writing together during that time.

Whitehouse said he did not discuss with Langham additional sketches about a character who abused a child he had been grooming.

Earlier in the trial, police computer expert Christopher Crute said he found files on a computer taken from Langham’s home that made reference to children as young as seven. Some file names included the words Lolita, incest, rape, whore and hussy.

Langham, 58, denies indecently assaulting a teenage girl and 15 counts of downloading child pornography.

The trial continues.

Published: 24 Jul 2007