A blind musician from Sheffield has been cleared of all charges after being accused of molesting a schoolboy over 20 years ago. Keyboard player Michael Higgins, aged 46, of Portland Court, Langsett, had denied two allegations of indecent assault which the supposed victim claimed happened in 1987. Mr Higgins was acquitted at the Old Bailey in London yesterday afternoon after a trial spanning four weeks. His solicitor Chris Saltrese told The Star afterwards: "The jurors are to be congratulated in reaching their verdict. It is an immense relief to Mr Higgins and his partner, who have suffered a great deal of anxiety and distress in meeting the unfounded charges." Mr Higgins was accused of molesting the boy - then aged seven, now an adult - after a Madonna concert in 1987 and again at his flat following an appearance on the Central Weekend TV show. But the musician was given an alibi by DJ Liz Kershaw, who told the court she could remember sharing a taxi with Higgins around … [Read more...]
Sheffield musician cleared of historic abuse after four week trial
A blind musician from Sheffield has been cleared of all charges after being accused of molesting a schoolboy over 20 years ago. Keyboard player Michael Higgins, aged 46, of Portland Court, Langsett, had denied two allegations of indecent assault which the supposed victim claimed happened in 1987. Mr Higgins was acquitted at the Old Bailey in London yesterday afternoon after a trial spanning four weeks. His solicitor Chris Saltrese told The Star afterwards: "The jurors are to be congratulated in reaching their verdict. It is an immense relief to Mr Higgins and his partner, who have suffered a great deal of anxiety and distress in meeting the unfounded charges." Mr Higgins was accused of molesting the boy - then aged seven, now an adult - after a Madonna concert in 1987 and again at his flat following an appearance on the Central Weekend TV show. But the musician was given an alibi by DJ Liz Kershaw, who told the court she could remember sharing a taxi with Higgins around … [Read more...]
Football manager tells of shock at being falsey accused of child abuse
In 1999 Dave Jones’s world was devastated by wrongful charges of child sex abuse. in an autobiography to be published shortly he reveals the damage it did to his family and his football career. Matthew Syed, The Times reports It was at the moment the door to the police interview room clanked shut that Dave Jones knew something was horribly wrong. The place was dank and windowless. It smelt like a hospital ward with paint peeling off the walls. Fear seemed to engulf the manager of Southampton Football Club as he sat there, alone, waiting. He was jolted from his thoughts by the door banging against the wall. Two officers entered the room. One of them started to speak, but what he said seemed somehow incomprehensible, yet at the same time as dark and threatening as the room in which Jones was sitting.“David Jones, you are under arrest.” Jones felt his stomach lurch and his skin crawl. “Arrest? What for?” he replied. www.timesonline.co.uk/booksfirst “Physical … [Read more...]
Teacher cleared of sexual assaults
Teacher cleared of sexual assaults: This article appeared in the Evening Gazette (Ingleby Barwick & Thornaby - TS17) on Friday 12th June 2009 A teacher has been cleared of sexually touching three pupils - with the judge slamming an "unacceptable" two-year delay in the court case. A jury unanimously acquitted Neil Francis, 33, pictured, of all eight counts of sexual assault after just 45 minutes' consideration yesterday afternoon. The married man, of Castlemartin, Ingleby Barwick, who always denied all of the charges, remained calm as the verdicts were announced. Quiet but heavy sobs came from one of his supporters in Teesside Crown Court public gallery, before he was hugged as he left the dock. His career hangs in the balance as he is still suspended from his job. "These allegations blister and burn a person," defence barrister Peter Makepeace told jurors in the four-day trial. "They destroy a teacher utterly, irrelevant of whether … [Read more...]
Agents ‘posed as police’ in South Australian Easling case
The following item was recently posted on The Australian web site. Members of a South Australian government special investigations unit allegedly posed as police officers to gain access to the employment records of a former senior public servant accused and ultimately cleared of 20 sexual abuse charges. Liberal frontbencher Iain Evans told state parliament last week that unit investigators had "paraded as police officers" in August 2004 to gain access to the employment record of Tom Easling, then a senior public servant with the Office for Youth. Mr Evans used the claims to support Opposition calls for a royal commission into the case. He also told parliament a memo subpoenaed twice by Mr Easling, but which the Government said did not exist, was now in the possession of the Opposition and Mr Easling. The latest twists in the Easling saga further embarrass the Rann Government as it awaits advice from the Crown Solicitor's office about a formal inquiry into the … [Read more...]
Sheer Wickedness
A Darlington man has spoken of the pain and humiliation after being falsely accused of rape by his estranged wife. Anthony Scoones was arrested at his home and spent 16 hours in a police cell when his former partner – out to discredit him after their “acrimonious separation” – told detectives he had sexually assaulted her. His 26-year-old accuser, of Kirkstone Place, Newton Aycliffe, admitted an act intending to pervert the course of justice and was jailed for 12 months for what a judge called “sheer wickedness” (more) Source: Northern Echo … [Read more...]
A grandfather who served 20 months in jail cleared at re-trial.
A grandfather who served 20 months in jail on child sex charges has been cleared at a re-trial. Maximillian Szuca, 59, returned to Leighton Buzzard for the first time in nearly four years after a jury at Cambridge Crown Court found him not guilty of five counts of sexual assault and one of gross indecency last Wednesday. This week Mr Szuca spoke of his relief at his acquittal and revealed the trauma of being 'branded a paedophile'. Family and friends staged a celebration of his return at the Market Cross on Sunday. Mr Szuca was originally convicted of the offences at Luton Crown Court in November 2006 and sentenced to seven years in March 2007. In July last year, his convictions were quashed amid emotional scenes at the Court of Appeal in London. Despite being released on bail, Mr Szuca was still not allowed to return to his Leighton Buzzard home - from which he had been forced to move in January 2006 when Luton magistrates granted him bail on the proviso he lived … [Read more...]
Two former soldiers jailed for sex abuse have had their convictions quashed
Two former soldiers jailed for a range of sexual abuse against children have had their convictions quashed. Dermot James Wade, 49, and his cousin, Dennis McCalmont Jnr, 46, were convicted in 2004 of 29 offences against boys and girls in the 1970s. The pair, from near Ballymoney, were released on bail, pending a decision on whether to order a retrial. The appeal centred on a since-abolished law that a child under 14 could not be held responsible for a crime. Although the age of criminal responsibility was lowered in 1998, lawyers for McCalmont - who was 13 at the time of some of the abuse - pointed out that this did not work retrospectively. Issues around the delay in bringing a case against the pair were also raised. Defence lawyers also called an expert on human memory to give evidence on the general ability to recall childhood experiences. Professor Martin Conway, head of the Institute of Psychology at the University of Leeds, told the court research suggests … [Read more...]
Teacher seeks Royal Pardon over ‘assault’
Man barred from schools after touching pupil's chin to appeal to the Queen More than 100 MPs, peers and members of the Northern Ireland Assembly have backed the first ever school teacher in the UK campaigning for a pardon from the Queen. Retired Belfast teacher David Bell says the royal pardon will wipe away the "stain" of the sentence of "absolute discharge" that he received after an incident involving a female pupil. In the UK's magistrates' bench book "absolute discharge" is defined as morally innocent but technically guilty. The former technology and design teacher's ordeal began in June 2002 at Laurel Hill Community College in Lisburn City. He was accused of assault but he claimed that he had simply told a pupil to cheer up and touched her briefly on the chin. Bell, 53, said he has been encouraged by the volume of support from both the Assembly and Westminster. Parties ranging from Sinn Féin to the Democratic Unionists and the Tories have backed his demand for a Queen's … [Read more...]
Teachers fear the lasting mark of sex abuse allegations
As a Welsh teacher is acquitted of abusing young boys in his care, Lisa Jones and Moira Sharkey examine where the line between protecting children and protecting their teachers really falls. The acquittal of a teacher accused of sexually assaulting pupils has sparked fresh calls for anonymity of defendants in future cases. FACT, an organisation set up to help teachers and carers who are falsely accused of sex crimes against children, has called for action in the wake of the case of Nicholas Lewis, 36, acquitted of 13 charges of sexual assault at Cardiff Crown Court. Mr Lewis is now intent on returning to work after he was suspended for nine months while allegations made by six pupils were investigated. A jury of seven women and five men found him not guilty of 11 charges and Judge Roderick Denyer QC directed not guilty verdicts on two further charges. Speaking of his relief after the trial, Mr Lewis said he was relieved that the nightmare is now behind him. Teaching … [Read more...]
South Wales teacher cleared
A South wales teacher accused of a string of sex assaults against children has been cleared today. Six schoolboys had alleged tha teacher Nicholas Lewis, 36, had secretly slipped his hands under their trousers and up their shirts, but a jury at Cardiff Crown Court rejected all of their claims today. Mr Lewis denied 11 charges of sexual assault, but Judge Roderick Denyer QC had directed the jury to find him not guilty on two counts. Throughout the case, Mr Lewis had insisted that he was a friendly teacher, but would never offer children more than an arm around the shoulder or a squeeze of encouragement. Source: Wales On-line … [Read more...]
Cardiff Council call for inquiry into miscarriages of justice
The BBC have reported that Cardiff Council have called for public inquiry into miscarriages of justice after three people were jailed for lying in a murder trial. Mark Grommek, Leanne Vilday and Angela Psaila were each sentenced to 18 months for committing perjury at the Lynette White murder trial almost 20 years ago. They were subsequently cleared A motion tabled at a Cardiff council meeting also supported the call for an inquiry into Michael O'Brien's case. He was wrongly convicted of the murder of Cardiff newsagent Phillip Saunders. "Justice has to be done." Full story … [Read more...]
European Court of Human Rights rules that retention of DNA by police on individuals who do not have convictions is unlawful
The European Court of Human Rights have determined the retention by the authorities (including the UK police) of fingerprints, cellular samples and DNA profiles after a person has been acquitted or discharged, is unlawful. See also BBC report ¦ Full text of judgement … [Read more...]
Carer wins appeal
Frank Joynson devoted 40 years to caring for others. In November 2008 his world came crashing down when he was wrongfully convicted of abusing 5 former residents under his care.Those who represented Frank never faltered in their belief that he had suffered a serious miscarriage of justice and never had a fair trial. Despite deplorable press reporting at the time, his case was strenuously advanced. Yesterday that determination was rewarded when the Court of Appeal recognised that there were serious concerns about the safety of this conviction. That several of the complainants credibility was seriously in question and that the delay in bringing these allegations before a court for 38 years had seriously prejudiced Mr Joynson to the extent that no fair trial was possible. The court in a Landmark ruling made clear that where documents were missing these could affect both specific and non specific allegations and that when complainants were undermined their lack of credibility must … [Read more...]
They wanted enough rope to hang me
It has taken more than four years, but last month the former principal teacher of the residential school at the centre of one of Scotland's biggest child abuse investigations finally cleared his name. There were never any allegations of abuse against Jim Hunter, who was in charge of the Kerelaw Residential School between December 2000 and June 2004. Rather, Glasgow City Council (GCC), who ran the school, claimed that he "failed to protect young people from inappropriate practices by staff and failed to ensure adequate management scrutiny in cases of violent incident reporting". Hunter was removed in June 2004 and sacked in August 2005. But after an 11-day employment tribunal, the 57-year-old was finally vindicated when it was concluded that his dismissal from the school, near Stevenston in Ayrshire, was unfair, as GCC had no grounds on which it could reasonably conclude his actions had serious consequences. Now, for the first time, Hunter has spoken of his battle against his … [Read more...]
Minister accused of misleading Parliament over abuse trial (Australia)
The following article appeared in the Australian Weekly (here) on the 14th November 2008 Families and Communities Minister Jennifer Rankine is under fire for accusing an innocent man of paedophilia. Thomas Frank Easling was accused and last November was acquitted of numerous child molestation charges after working as a foster carer. He and his supporters, as well as a number of MPs, want a Royal Commission-type inquiry into aspects of the prosecution’s case. They allege Crown witnesses were given inducements in exchange for allegations, that files disappeared, and that interviews with accusers were not always recorded. Easling pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Member for Davenport, Iain Evans, believes the way the Easling case was investigated is “a matter of grave concern to all South Australians”. Independent MP for Mitchell, Kris Hanna, also wants an independent investigation into the way the depart¬ment for Families and Communities handled the … [Read more...]
Innocent man cannot sue accuser
A man cleared by the court of appeal of raping a woman cannot sue her for damages, the high court said yesterday. Anthony Hunt, a traffic warden from Dorset, was jailed for four years in November 2003 but later had his conviction overturned by the court of appeal. Hunt, who spent two years in prison before his conviction was quashed in 2005, attempted to sue the woman for malicious prosecution, saying that she had falsely accused him of rape. Victims of miscarriages of justice were also entitled to a remedy in damages, his lawyers had argued. Dismissing his claim, Judge Collins yesterday said Hunt, 65, had not proved that the woman acted maliciously, adding that claims of this nature could make "many hundreds of people who cooperate with the police ... vulnerable to being sued for very large sums of money" at a time when efforts were being made to encourage rape victims to come forward. He added: "This consequence is likely to have particular impact in the field of … [Read more...]
Christian Brother – not guilty
A Christian Brother has been acquitted, by direction of Judge Tony Hunt, of sexually assaulting boys 40 years ago in a Galway industrial school. Judge Hunt withdrew all 35 charges from the jury on day 11 of the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. His decision to direct that not guilty verdicts be returned on all the charges came following submissions by defence counsel, Mr Hugh Hartnett SC (with Mr Philip Rhan BL). The 72 year old accused had pleaded not guilty to the 35 counts of indecently assaulting six boys between 1967 and 1973 when they were residents at the school. Source: Breaking News Another report adds Judge: 'Inconsistencies' lead to Christian Brother's acquittal An ex-Christian Brother has been acquitted by direction of Judge Tony Hunt of sexually assaulting boys some 40 years ago in a Galway industrial school. Judge Hunt withdrew all 35 charges from the jury on day 11 of the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The … [Read more...]
Barry George cleared of Jill Dando’s murder
Barry George has been found not guilty of murdering BBC television presenter Jill Dando outside her London home. See reports in:- BBC ITV Times Guardian Indeperndent … [Read more...]
Barrister in Barry George case warns that media pressure can affect police objectivity
In what will have resonance among FACT cases the barrister for Barry George, cleared of killing presenter Jill Dando, has warned that huge publicity can distort investigations into high-profile cases. William Clegg QC said the media pressure on the authorities to find the perpetrator could affect the police's objectivity. Mr George, 48, was cleared on Friday of murdering Miss Dando, 37, on the doorstep of her London home in 1999. The Crown Prosecution Service has said it was right to take the case to court. Mr Clegg told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "All these cases that attract widespread publicity put huge pressure on the police and the prosecuting authorities to try to find the perpetrator and I sometimes feel that that pressure distorts the objectivity that would otherwise be present, were the publicity to be absent." Mr Clegg was also involved in the case of Colin Stagg, who was cleared of the 1992 murder of Rachel Nickell. He said there were lessons to be … [Read more...]
Court hears of ‘anticlerical’ social worker at alleged abuse school [Eire]
The following story appeared in the Irish media on the 25th July 2008 A court has heard that an "extremely anticlerical" social worker investigating alleged sexual abuse at a Galway school was eventually taken off the case by the former Western Health Board. Superintendent Jim Sugrue, now retired, told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that the social worker, Mr Gerry Flanagan, had worked in the school in the late 70s as a "house parent" but had left "under a cloud". He said he believed Mr Flanagan had a "fixation" with the school and was "extremely anticlerical" as demonstrated by two letters he wrote to the Irish Press newspaper concerning clerical abuse. Mr Sugrue was giving evidence after Judge Tony Hunt took what he called an "unusual step" in calling him as "a witness for the court" after it emerged he had written to the Director of Public Prosecutions in November 1995 outlining his concern that witnesses were being "coached" before they made their statements. Judge … [Read more...]
Nanny cleared of killing baby
A society nanny accused of shaking to death a three-month-old baby walked from Liverpool Crown Court a free woman yesterday after the prosecution case against her collapsed. Linda Wise, 47, who worked for European royalty, Greek shipping magnates and a host of wealthy, privileged or famous mothers, always protested her innocence of what she described as an 'appalling crime'. The prosecution alleged that she handled Isaac Rowlinson, the 13-week-old son of two Lancashire police detectives, so roughly that he suffered bleeding over his brain causing severe brain damage. He died ten months later from an epileptic fit. Five weeks after the start of the trial, Mr Justice David Clarke ruled that the medical evidence presented to the jury was insufficient for the court to convict safely. The case has underlined the difficulties of achieving a successful conviction in 'shaken baby' trials, and raised serious questions about whether the Crown Prosecution Service should have proceeded to … [Read more...]
Footballer falsely accused of being wife beater
Ex-England and Manchester United striker Andrew Cole today accepted a formal apology and substantial damages at London's High Court after the Daily Star branded him a "wife-beater". Cole, who recently signed for League One side Nottingham Forest, sued the paper's publisher Express Newspapers over the 26 February article headlined Footie Cole is ˜wife beater", published the day after Cole was arrested by Cheshire Police on suspicion of assault following an incident at a house in Alderley Edge. Cole's solicitor, Rachel Atkins, told judge Mr Justice David Eady today that Cole had been released on bail on 26 February, and that all charges against him were ultimately withdrawn on 28 March. She said: On 26 February 2008, the defendant published a front page article in the most sensationalist terms in the Daily Star alleging that 'Footie Cole' is a "wife-beater". In a further article that day, the defendant also alleged that there were strong grounds to suspect that the claimant was … [Read more...]
