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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Met Police to conduct urgent review after rape trial collapse | Met Police to conduct urgent review after rape trial collapse |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Met Police is to hold an "urgent" review of a rape case after being accused of failing to disclose vital evidence. | The Met Police is to hold an "urgent" review of a rape case after being accused of failing to disclose vital evidence. |
| Liam Allan, 22, was charged with 12 counts of rape and sexual assault but his trial collapsed after police were ordered to hand over phone records. | Liam Allan, 22, was charged with 12 counts of rape and sexual assault but his trial collapsed after police were ordered to hand over phone records. |
| A computer disk containing 40,000 messages revealed the alleged victim pestered Mr Allen for "casual sex". | A computer disk containing 40,000 messages revealed the alleged victim pestered Mr Allen for "casual sex". |
| Prosecution barrister Jerry Hayes accused police of "pure incompetence". | Prosecution barrister Jerry Hayes accused police of "pure incompetence". |
| The charges against the criminology student were dropped three days into the trial at Croydon Crown Court when Mr Hayes took over the case. | The charges against the criminology student were dropped three days into the trial at Croydon Crown Court when Mr Hayes took over the case. |
| 'Villain to innocent' | 'Villain to innocent' |
| It is understood police had looked at thousands of phone messages when reviewing evidence in the case, but had failed to disclose to the prosecution and defence teams messages between the complainant and her friends which cast doubt on the case against Mr Allan. | |
| The CPS said it offered no evidence in the case on Thursday as there was "no longer a realistic prospect of conviction". | The CPS said it offered no evidence in the case on Thursday as there was "no longer a realistic prospect of conviction". |
| Mr Hayes said there had "very nearly been a serious miscarriage of justice where a young man's life would have been trashed". | |
| A Met spokesman said: "We are aware of this case being dismissed from court and are carrying out an urgent assessment to establish the circumstances which led to this action being taken." | A Met spokesman said: "We are aware of this case being dismissed from court and are carrying out an urgent assessment to establish the circumstances which led to this action being taken." |
| Mr Allan told the BBC he was "overwhelmed" at the moment, adding: "It's a huge amount of confusion to go from being the villain to being innocent." | Mr Allan told the BBC he was "overwhelmed" at the moment, adding: "It's a huge amount of confusion to go from being the villain to being innocent." |
| A spokesman for the CPS said: "In November 2017, the police provided more material in the case of Liam Allan. Upon a review of that material, it was decided that there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. | A spokesman for the CPS said: "In November 2017, the police provided more material in the case of Liam Allan. Upon a review of that material, it was decided that there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. |
| "We will now be conducting a management review together with the Metropolitan Police to examine the way in which this case was handled." | "We will now be conducting a management review together with the Metropolitan Police to examine the way in which this case was handled." |