Dave Lee Travis cleared of 12 counts of indecent assault

[dutchman]

Dave Lee Travis has been cleared of 12 counts of indecent assault.


Dave Lee Travis with his wife Marianne Griffin

The jury were discharged from reaching a verdict on two other charges against Travis, having been told earlier today that the judge would accept a majority verdict of 10-2. The jury had begun its deliberations on Monday (February 10).

The 68-year-old was tried under his real name David Patrick Griffin at Southwark Crown Court on 13 charges of indecent assault against ten women between 1976 and 2003, and one charge of sexual assault of another woman in 2008.

The jury could not reach a decision on count 7 - the charge of groping a stage hand during a pantomime production. It could also not reach a decision on count 14 - the alleged sexual assault of a journalist.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has requested seven days to make a decision about retrying Travis on these two charges, with a new hearing at Southwark Crown Court on February 24 to decide if there should be a retrial.

Previously summing up the case last week, Judge Anthony Leonard told jurors not to be influenced by other recent sex crime cases involving celebrities, especially the acquittal of Coronation Street actor Bill Roache earlier this month.

He told the jury that there is "no such thing as guilty or innocence by association", following the Jimmy Savile inquiry, accusations against Rolf Harris and Roache's not guilty verdict.

During the trial, Travis had argued that his "cuddly nature" may have been misconstrued or misrepresented.

[rebbonk]

What we are seeing is a deliberate smoke and mirrors exercise to deflect attention from the Savile case.

[dutchman]

Travis has lost his home and all of his money as a result of this false prosecution and even if the remaining two charges agaianst him are dropped he will have the stigma of being accused of a sex crime hanging over him for the rest of his life.

[dutchman]

Dave Lee Travis to face retrial on further counts of indecent and sexual assault



The DJ Dave Lee Travis is to face a retrial on further charges of indecent and sexual assault, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

Appearing at Southwark Crown Court, the former BBC Radio One star was told he is likely to face a further two-week trial at a date that is yet to be set.

Travis, 68, was cleared of 12 counts of indecent assault earlier this month but jurors at London's Southwark Crown Court were unable to reach verdicts on two further charges and were discharged.

Today, Judge Anthony Leonard heard that prosecutors and police will seek a retrial on a single charge of indecent assault and one of sexual assault.

Prosecutor Miranda Moore QC confirmed to the court: "The prosecution is seeking a retrial for two outstanding counts."

Reacting to the news outside Southwark Crown Court, Travis said: "I told you that I'd been through 18 months of a nightmare and apparently I was wrong because the nightmare is now going to go on.

"All I can say is, this whole thing started when I was 67 and I just hope it will end by the time I'm 80."

Travis, who appeared under his real name David Griffin when he faced a four-week trial ending on 13 February, remained seated in the dock today wearing a black suit and burgundy shirt and tie as the matter was discussed.

At the end of the brief hearing, Judge Leonard told him: "You are to return to this court on 28 March. You are re-admitted to bail as before."

Ms Moore told the court a retrial would be likely to last just over two weeks.

Marianne, Travis's wife of more than 40 years, supported him from the public gallery during today's hearing.