By Juliette Jabkhiro in Paris

A court in Paris has handed French film star Gerard Depardieu an 18-month suspended prison sentence after he was convicted of sexual assault against two women.

The actor, 76, was convicted of having groped a 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant during the filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters).

The case was widely seen as a key post-#MeToo test of how French society and its film industry address allegations of sexual misconduct involving prominent figures.

A towering figure of French cinema, Depardieu had repeatedly denied any wrongdoing during the trial and his lawyer pleaded for charges against him to be dismissed.

But judge Thierry Donard said on Tuesday that Depardieu’s explanation of events had been unconvincing.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211028

-with AP