General Chat

The jury in the trial of the DJ Dave Lee Travis (real name David Patrick Griffin) after taking 4 days to consider their verdict have found him not guilty on all but two counts on which they could not decide to agree on a verdict.

Interesting....!!


jude

In respect of the two charges on which the jury failed to reach a verdict, it will be interesting to see if the Crown Prosecution Service will make them the subject of a re-trial or whether they will drop them.

Well i feel sorry for the guy . :-|

I do too. The thing is that when these guys were young they were persistently followed about by 'groupies' who were for the most part very young girls hanging around stage doors hoping that their idol would look in their direction. No doubt he did put his arm round one or two of them, even give them a squeeze, but in those days no one would have thought tuppence about it, in fact they'd have been disappointed if he hadn't!! OK it's unacceptable now, but in those days if a chap hadn't wolf whistled at me I would have thought that there was something wrong with the way I was looking and been really miffed!!! This poor man's been through hell for things that were totally unimportant and forgotten about years ago. Witch hunt come to mind - hope Rolf Harris is acquitted too.

Only the lawyers win, it seems he has sold his house to pay for his defence....
Bob

Some of the accusations relate to alleged incidents in very recent times. What is the cut off point whereby you say "oh it was ok then, it was a long time ago"?
2008?
1998?
1988?
1978?

Interesting comments, Magpie.

Poor man! :-(

I feel sorry for him has well, and I think a lot of these cases have been brought to court because they could not throw the book at Jimmy Saville

The CPS has a lot to answer for.

I see that Freddie Starr has been arrested and released on bail for a 4th time. He is now seeking a Judicial Review.

As I said before,Its a Witch Hunt as to who can bag the Highest Profile Star Etc.Probably got aLeague Score for each,It stinks to High Heaven.The trouble is that the people who have genuine reason to complain of these crimes against them will be reluctant to bring charges thinking they will be held up to ridicule about it.Which is very very sad and against all laws of justice.**M**. :-(

I hope that there will not be a retrial.

Interesting reading here:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/feb/13/prosecution-case-dave-lee-travis-fell-apart

A sad case.

For hundreds of years those accused had the right to have the case against them put in open court. Witnesses supporting the accusations also had to be prepared to appear in open court and be prepared to be cross examined without any shield of anonymity.

There are some obvious exceptions - child witnesses, terrorism (maybe) but justice wholly or partly in camera has gone much too far and all of us are not far from being dragged into one of these modern star chambers with scant warning.

That said I was a principal witness at a serious criminal trial at the assizes when I was 14. I just had to cope with hostile cross examination as best as I could. I suffered no trauma from it.

Sadly Yewtree is just one of several politically motivated "investigations". Such cases do nothing to suggest that the image on top of the Old Bailey has anything to do with modern British justice.

Merlin - equally trial by media is against all the laws of justice, until guilt is proven in a court of law an individual is presumed innocent, trial by the media demolishes that presumption and punishes individuals who may have done no wrong, that is neither fair or just.

I think the CPS should pay his costs. He's had to sell his house to pay for his defence.

this kind of result doesn't help women who have REALLY been abused...........

it only heightens the "cry wolf" attitude to these kind of accusations......

Bob

It is being reported on BBC News that Dave Lee Travis is to face a re-trial on two charges - one of indecent assault & one of sexual assault.

I do wonder how it can be an unbiased trial now with so much having been in the media.

OFGS these two people have been to hell and back, and look like they will be going again - As you say AnninGlos, how can a new trial be unbiased after all the media attention. DLT has lost his home, reputation and has been reduced to criminal status if the CPS have their way - I would have thought that both he and his wife have suffered enough, and whoever he has allegedly offended had their pound of flesh - or is this a financial exercise or the CPS saving face?!!! on both fronts I hope they come well and truly unstuck!

Cannot help feeling that this is nothing more than an attempt by the CPS to get their pound of flesh because they were publicly humiliated when they failed to get a conviction in the original trial.

This re-trial makes a mockery of the whole justice system, and after all the publicity and media frenzy surrounding the original trial - there is no way that it can ever be a fair trial.