Actor Kevin Spacey has told a jury touching his accuser was in his mind romantic as he gave his defence during his trial for sexual assault.

The two-time Oscar winning actor said he had developed a flirtatious relationship with an accuser at London's Southwark Crown Court. He told the jury he and the complainant had been somewhat intimate, but denied assaulting him.

The 63-year-old faces 12 sexual offence charges, all of which he denies. The court heard the complainant alleges the incident happened as he drove Spacey to a showbiz party in the early 2000s.

When asked if he caused the accuser to come off the road whenhe grabbed the man, the actor that never happened.

Giving evidence, Spacey told the court he had developed a flirtatiousrelationship over time with the accuser, and that he touched the man in romanticand intimate ways.

He however that touching the accuser did not happen in aviolent, aggressive, painful way, rather It was gentle and it was, in his mind,romantic.

The actor explained the touching did not progress because the alleged victim made it clear that he did not want to go any further.