Ex-Spandau Ballet Star Ross William Wild Convicted of Rape, Sexual Assault, and Voyeurism
Former Spandau Ballet singer and West End star Ross Davidson has been found guilty of multiple sex crimes against three women.
Davidson, 36, was convicted of one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault after a six-week trial. He was also found guilty of voyeurism against a fourth woman and has been remanded in custody pending sentencing next month.
He showed no emotion as the jury at Wood Green Crown Court delivered their verdict after nearly 12 hours of deliberation.
The court heard that Davidson, who took over as lead singer of Spandau Ballet in 2018, enjoyed his role as a sex symbol and expected “sex on demand.” Prosecutors claimed that his film star appearance concealed a “sinister side” and that he refused to take no for an answer, even when a victim pleaded with him to stop after he demanded sex multiple times in one night.
The women were unaware that Davidson was filming the assaults, which he kept on his mobile phone for his own gratification. One victim was assaulted after meeting Davidson at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2018. Another victim only realized her assault had been filmed when police showed her the footage, leaving her distressed.
Prosecutors described Davidson as appearing “charismatic and charming” but hiding a “darker, sadistic side” involving role-playing rape and secretly filming the assaults. Davidson admitted to a fetish of having sex with women while they were asleep, a pattern that emerged from his victims’ statements.
Prosecutor Richard Hearnden noted Davidson’s good looks and star quality but emphasized that he used these traits to mask his true nature. He said Davidson had sexually assaulted several young women over the past decade.
The rape investigation began in 2019 when police seized a mobile phone and discovered videos of the assaults, which took place at his North London flat and in Cannes. One victim, a student, testified she was raped after an argument at Davidson’s flat in October 2013. Davidson reportedly told her, “This is what you want,” and called her derogatory names before raping her.
The court was informed that police initially decided there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the case. Davidson was cleared of a charge related to this victim.
Another victim testified that Davidson’s fantasy was to have sex with a sleeping woman and filmed himself groping her breasts while she slept. This victim felt disgusted upon seeing the video.
During the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, Davidson stayed at his cousin’s apartment and met another victim at a yacht party. Despite being “quite drunk” and not attracted to Davidson, she went back to his flat where he filmed himself groping her as she slept. She reported the assault only after hearing about Davidson’s arrest, feeling compelled to support the other victims.
Davidson maintained his innocence during the trial, claiming everything was consensual. He described some allegations as something “only a dog would do” and admitted he filmed the assaults to “spice things up,” though he refused to delete footage when asked by the women.
The verdicts were reached with a majority of 10-2 or 11-1.
