TV presenter John Leslie's long battle to clear his name has finally come to an end after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped two charges of sexual assault against him. The embattled celebrity walked free from a London court after the charges, which accused him of attacking a woman twice in May 1997, were abandoned.
"What can I say? I am an innocent man," said the former This Morning presenter, who lost his job as a result of the case. "I have maintained my innocence throughout and today it's been justified. The last ten months my family and I have been taken to hell and back although we always believed that justice would prevail and the truth would out."
The 38-year-old was first arrested on December 5, 2002, when Scotland Yard detectives received the allegations. After a lengthy inquiry, he was formally charged on June 18 with two counts of sexual assault.
Prosecution lawyers have meanwhile revealed that further evidence came to light, leading them to drop the charges. "New information has been brought to the attention of the police," said lawyer Richard Horwell. "That information could not have been foreseen. Inevitably, this information relates to the complainant. The source of the information is the complainant herself - that is very much to her credit."
He also acknowledged that John Leslie's name has been completely cleared. "He will leave this court without a stain on his character from this investigation," he declared.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
