MP Evans cleared of sexual assaults

Nigel Evans MP: "Nothing will ever be the same again"

Former deputy speaker of the House of Commons Nigel Evans has been cleared of a string of sex abuse charges, including one of rape.

The rape claim was one of several allegations made by seven men during a five-week trial at Preston Crown Court.

The former Conservative MP was said to have used his political influence to take advantage of his alleged victims.

But the defence pointed out inconsistencies in various witness accounts.

'Months of hell'

The jury unanimously found Mr Evans not guilty of one count of rape, five sexual assaults, one attempted sexual assault and two indecent assaults.

Following the acquittal, fellow MPs issued messages of support for Mr Evans, with some questioning why he was ever charged.

The 56-year Ribble Valley MP, currently sitting as an independent, burst into tears as the verdicts were announced.

Speaking outside the court, Mr Evans said he had been "through 11 months of hell".

The MP said: "This isn't a time for celebration or euphoria.

"As William Roache said on this very spot, there are no winners in these cases, so no celebration.

"Nothing will ever be the same again."

Prime Minister David Cameron was one of many of Mr Evans's Westminster colleagues to comment on the acquittal.

Mr Cameron said: "I very much welcome what he said on the steps of the court and I think everyone should pay heed to that.

PM David Cameron: "It's hard to imagine the relief Nigel must feel"

"I'm sure he will want to get on with working with his constituents in the Ribble Valley and, as for the future, I'm sure it's something he'll be discussing with the chief whip when he returns to Parliament."

Labour MP for Huddersfield Barry Sheerman said of Mr Evans: "He may have been a bit daft on occasions but never malign."

Michael Fabricant, who was sacked as Conservative party vice-chairman on Wednesday, wrote on Twitter: "Wonderful news that Nigel Evans has been acquitted on all counts. The party whip must now be restored to him without delay!"

Conservative MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire Stephen Crabb tweeted: "So pleased for my friend Nigel Evans today. A good man. Horrid experience to go through."

Dinner party

Fellow Conservative MP Peter Bone said police and prosecutors faced "serious questions" over their handling of the case.

He tweeted: "Good day for Nigel Evans but why was he charged in the first place? Serious questions for the police and CPS to answer! So pleased for Nigel."

A CPS spokesperson said: "The complainants in this case provided clear accounts of the alleged offending and it was right that all of the evidence was put before a jury."

Lancashire Police said all the evidence had been carefully scrutinised and the force remained committed to investigating accusations, no mater how historical and regardless of the status of the alleged offender.

The BBC's Danny Savage reports on how the case unfolded

Mr Evans's trial had heard he raped a man after a dinner party at the MP's home in Pendleton, Lancashire, in March last year.

The 56-year-old MP said the sex with the complainant, aged 22, was consensual.

In 2003, Mr Evans was said to have indecently assaulted two men in their 20s when he approached them in public places while drunk and put his hand down their trousers.

The jury heard in his defence that these were examples of "drunken over-familiarity" and Mr Evans had no recollection of either event.

Det Supt Ian Critchley: "The investigation was conducted in a fair, professional and proportional way"

The MP gave up the Tory party whip to become deputy speaker, and could potentially have it returned following his acquittal.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: "We are very pleased Nigel Evans has been cleared of all charges after this very difficult time."

Mr Evans, who was born in Swansea and lives in Pendleton, Lancashire, became deputy speaker in June 2010, a politically neutral role.

He resigned from the post after he was charged in September 2013 but continued to represent his constituents as an independent.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.

View the original article here

Published on: 9:43 PM

Man cleared of PC Blakelock killing

PC Keith Blakelock was stabbed 43 times, the court heard

A man has been cleared of killing police officer Keith Blakelock during riots in north London in 1985.

Nicholas Jacobs, 45, denied murdering the officer, who was stabbed 43 times at Broadwater Farm in Tottenham.

The Old Bailey jury heard from three witnesses who said they saw Mr Jacobs take part, but his defence team questioned their credibility.

On Wednesday, after four hours of deliberations, Mr Jacobs was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter.

Mr Jacobs - who was 16 at the time of the riot - stood up, held his head in his hands and punched the air as the verdicts were delivered. He then sat down and sobbed before being taken from the dock.

'Extraordinary patience'

PC Blakelock's family looked distraught. One of his three sons held his head in his hands, while his widow, Elizabeth, wept.

Nicholas Jacobs chose not to defend himself in court

In a statement, they said: "We are obviously extremely sad and disappointed at the verdict. We viewed this trial as an opportunity to see some form of justice served for Keith.

"We hope that more people are able to come forward so that some of those guilty can be brought to justice in the future."

Defence lawyer Courtenay Griffiths QC said outside the courtroom: "I'm delighted, I think the jury reached exactly the right verdicts."

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley: "We have not incentivised anybody financially to give evidence in this trial"

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, said: "The patience and determination that Keith's widow, Elizabeth, has shown over the years as she has pushed for answers about her husband's murder has been inspirational. She so richly deserves those answers and justice.

"We accept the decision of the jury and our work to bring those responsible for Keith's murder to justice will not stop."

Crown Prosecution Service London prosecutor Jenny Hopkins said: "It was right that all the evidence in this case was put before a jury and we respect its decision."

Retired policeman Richard Coombes, 63, who survived the Broadwater Farm attack, said: "The jury has reached its decision and we must all respect that."

Robert Hall looks at what happened on the night PC Blakelock died

PC Blakelock, 40, was repeatedly stabbed, and attempts made to decapitate him, as he tried to protect firefighters tackling a blaze at the height of the unrest on the Broadwater Farm estate on 6 October 1985.

During the trial, the jury heard Mr Jacobs had allegedly written a poem, while serving time in a juvenile detention centre, in which he boasted about "chopping" at the officer.

But his defence team claimed his account of the wounds the officer received did not match the post-mortem examination.

Mr Jacobs' prosecution followed an previous trial in 1987, when three men were convicted of the murder, before being freed four years later on appeal.

During the course of three separate investigations, a decision was made to give immunity to so-called "kickers" - those who were involved in the attack but did not use weapons - in exchange for their co-operation.

Among them were the prosecution witnesses given the pseudonyms Rhodes Levin and John Brown who both admitted kicking PC Blakelock and were given amnesty from prosecution.

About 500 police battled with rampaging youths during the Broadwater Farm riots

Some of the witnesses also received payments from police for their co-operation, the court was told.

The judge said Mr Jacobs had been within his rights not to give evidence during his trial and the jury could draw their own conclusions about his decision not to take the witness stand.

Winston Silcott, one of the so-called Tottenham Three convicted of the murder of PC Blakelock in 1987, said outside the Old Bailey: "The police are bitter about what happened, that's why they brought this case.

"My conclusion is that they had promised the Blakelock family that they would get justice for him and so they were trying to get anyone they could.

"Vengeance, that's what the police were out to get. I just hope Nicky Jacobs will be able to rebuild his life after this."

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.

View the original article here

Published on: 9:48 PM