Prisoner star Maggie Kirkpatrick succeeds in her appeal. Credit:Eddie Jim He said the alleged victim, who went to the police in May 2013 to report the alleged abuse, was clearly a troubled and unstable young woman who had given her evidence in a measured and precise way, but he was in a position where Ms Kirkpatrick denied the alleged victim's claims. Judge Chettle said Ms Kirkpatrick had given her evidence in a somewhat "flowery style" but she was a woman of previous good character and her denials had been untouched when cross-examined by the prosecutor. He said Ms Kirkpatrick had described the allegations when first interviewed by police as "malicious and untrue". The judge said it was clear Ms Kirkpatrick was a warm and caring person who had helped young people in the past, which is why she might have decided to invite the girl home.

Prisoner star Maggie Kirkpatrick shows her delight at the result Credit:Eddie Jim Ms Kirkpatrick, who burst into tears after the decision was handed down, had met the teenager while the girl was being treated in a psychiatric hospital for substance abuse and a personality disorder. Outside court, Ms Kirkpatrick said she was extremely relieved at the decision. "I just simply want to thank my legal team, my beautiful family and the hundreds of fans and members of the acting fraternity who stood by me for the last two years," she said. "It's been rather difficult but I'm happy with the result."

Ms Kirkpatrick said she was not angry with the woman who had made the abuse allegations against her. The actress had picked up the girl and taken her to her Prahran house where she cooked her "signature dish" of rabbit stew before they watched the Logie Awards. The girl claimed she was later sexually assaulted in an upstairs bedroom. The girl claimed she was given a yellow jumper and a signed photograph by Ms Kirkpatrick after being abused. Ms Kirkpatrick told Judge Chettle on Monday during her appeal that she had taken the girl home because she wanted to give a disturbed person "a little home life". "I saw it as a kindness," Ms Kirkpatrick said.

Ms Kirkpatrick, a grandmother of two based in Sydney, denied abusing the girl. She claimed on the night in question she sent the girl back to the psychiatric hospital in a taxi after catching her stealing alcohol. Ms Kirkpatrick had been found guilty by a magistrate in August of two counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency with a person under 16. She was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order involving 100 hours' unpaid work over 12 months, but appealed the decision. The girl's husband told the magistrate his wife had spoken of the offending in 1998 and identified the perpetrator as "the nasty one from Prisoner". Ms Kirkpatrick, who is best known for her role as "The Freak" in Prisoner, has also appeared in other Australian TV shows, including Hey Dad!, Blue Heelers, Home and Away, All Saints and Water Rats.

She also recently scored a role as Madame Morrible in the Australian production of the musical Wicked. with AAP