Emmerdale actor Mark Jordon cleared of assaulting OAP

Emmerdale actor Mark Jordon, 54, has been found not guilty at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester of affray, unlawful wounding and assault by beating after he bit Andrew Potts, 68, following a row in a beer garden.

His girlfriend Laura Norton, who plays Kerry Wyatt in Emmerdale, was in tears in the public gallery.

The jury of eight men and four women deliberated for six hours and 47 minutes.

Jordon, who plays Daz Spencer in the Yorkshire-based soap, was accused of attacking pensioner Andrew Potts, 68, and assaulting his partner, Rosalind O'Neill, in Oldham on July 1 last year.

The trial, at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, heard that a row started in the beer garden of the Farrars Arms, where Jordon, 54, was celebrating his engagement to fellow cast member Laura Norton, who plays Kerry Wyatt.

The jury was told that tensions flared when comments were made by Mr Potts and Mrs O'Neill about Jordon's daughter, Poppy, 18.

Jordon claimed Mr Potts had called the teenager a "slag" and said he had video of her which he would post on YouTube.

Mr Potts denied that but told the court he had told Jordon he would not let his daughter act like that in front of him.

Mr Potts told the court that Jordon screamed: "I'll f****** kill you, you old bastard."

CCTV footage showed the actor having to be held back from Mr Potts, who threw some punches at him.

The former Heartbeat actor said one of the punches caused his nose to bleed; however, Mr Potts said he did not hit Jordon's nose and alleged he had been taking cocaine, which the actor denied.

The court heard that Mr Potts and his partner left the pub and walked down the road, but were later confronted by Jordon who got out of a taxi.

Mr Potts told the jury: "He then came towards me and he was still screaming and shouting and his face was ... it was just horrendous, he was growling like a mad dog."

The court heard that Jordon bit the pensioner's thumb and the palm of his hand, spitting out a chunk of skin, and the pair of them fell to the ground, where the actor bit Mr Potts' eyebrow.

However, Jordon told the jury he bit Mr Potts in self-defence after the pensioner attacked him.

He said: "It was not planned, regretful and in the moment. It was pure instinct."

During the trial, Emmerdale stars including Nick Miles, who plays Jimmy King, Sammy Winward, who played Katie Sugden, and Chris Chittell, who is the longest-serving character in the soap as Eric Pollard, have attended court to support Jordon.

Before the jury was sent to consider their verdicts, Judge Mark Savill told the jurors: "Mark Jordon is an actor.

"You try this case, please, only on the evidence you have seen and heard in this trial.

"Somebody's job has no relevance to that and you will treat Mr Jordon in the same way as you would any member of the public, save where his occupation is relevant."

Jordon, of Tamewater Court, Dobcross, Oldham, denied affray, unlawful wounding and assault by beating.