Ex-'Emmerdale' star 'beat up man'

Ex-Emmerdale actor Cleveland Campbell beat up a man outside a birthday party, a court has heard.

The 30-year-old, who played Danny Daggert, is alleged to have given Daniel Stables, 22, a broken jaw.

Campbell, from Rochdale, denies causing grievous bodily harm and is currently standing trial.

Stables claimed at yesterday's hearing that he was punched seven times “out of the blue” while he waited for a taxi after a party held by ex-Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson. She was seeing Campbell at the time.

The alleged victim, one of Atkinson's schoolfriends, told Bolton Crown Court he was attacked at 1.30am near the Village Inn and Hotel in Bury, Greater Manchester, in November 2005.

Steven Ferguson, defending Campbell, said Atkinson had earlier asked Stables to stop being “pervy” with her co-stars. Stables admitted it was “possible” he pinched one female guest's bottom earlier that night.

Yesterday Stables's friend Steven Kernaghan, who says he saw the alleged assault, gave evidence.

He said Campbell had fired a "flurry of punches" at Stables - but admitted they phoned the News of the World before they phoned the police.

"We called the newspaper out of shock," he told the court. "We called because of Cleveland's status and celebrity."

Cross-examining the witness, Ferguson put to him: "You have pinned a lie on Mr Campbell. You went to the News of the World with an allegation when you were all nearly drunk. You've all stuck with your story and it's grown out of control."