In a trial at Southwark Crown Court Tony and Danny represented an intoxicated man who accused of sexually assaulting a female Police Community Support Officer (PCSO).

The circumstances of this case are that the accused was behaving in a drunk and disorderly fashion at Victoria Station. He had refused to leave a café within the station concourse and was verbally abusing customers and staff. Consequently, Police were called and a female PCSO attended to prevent him misbehaving further. It was alleged by two members of the Royalty Protection Branch (SO14) who were in plain clothes and happened to be passing on their way to work at Buckingham Palace, that he grabbed the PCSO’s bottom. The PCSO herself reported that he had asked to go home with her that night, but in evidence did not say that he grabbed her bottom. The Royalty Protection officers flew down from Balmoral to give evidence at his trial.

The Crown Prosecution Service chose to pursue this serious allegation solely on the word of one uncorroborated police officer. Had our client been convicted there would have been enormous consequences for him. Aside from a term of imprisonment, he would likely have been placed on the Sexual Offences Register. Thankfully, the jury saw sense and threw this weak allegation out.

Tony Meisels was the litigator in this case, and Danny Barnard was counsel.