This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/feb/13/dave-lee-travis-not-guilty-indecent-assault

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Dave Lee Travis cleared of string of indecent assaults Dave Lee Travis cleared of string of indecent assaults
(35 minutes later)
Dave Lee Travis has been cleared of a string of indecent assault charges dating back to the mid-1970s.Dave Lee Travis has been cleared of a string of indecent assault charges dating back to the mid-1970s.
The former BBC Radio 1 DJ had been accused of 13 counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault, relating to 11 women, over a 30-year period.. The former BBC Radio 1 DJ was on trial for four weeks after being accused of 13 counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault, relating to 11 women, over a 30-year period.
But after a four-week trial at Southwark crown court in London, the jury cleared the veteran broadcaster on 12 counts. The jury was discharged from reaching verdicts on the other two At the time of the alleged attacks, Travis was a hugely popular BBC Radio 1 star who went on to front Top of the Pops and make guest appearances as a DJ up and down the country. His accusers were as young as 15. But after almost 22 hours of deliberations, the jury cleared the veteran broadcaster of indecently assaulting eight women and a 15-year-old girl. The jury was discharged from reaching verdicts on the other two charges.
Travis's legal team had argued during the trial that the former DJ was the victim of a "witch-hunt" and was a scapegoat for Jimmy Savile's crimes. "Police and the authorities missed Jimmy Savile," Travis's barrister, Stephen Vullo, told jurors in his closing speech last week. Travis smiled and glanced at the press bench in Southwark crown court when the verdicts were read out. His wife, Marianne, gave a thin smile from the public gallery where she was sitting with two of his former personal assistants as the not-guilty verdicts were returned.
Asked outside court whether he was delighted, Travis told reporters: "No, I'm not delighted at all."
Two Operation Yewtree detectives declined to comment as they left the courtroom.
Travis was released from the dock on bail and told he should return to the court for a further hearing on 24 February.
At the time of the alleged attacks, Travis was a hugely popular BBC Radio 1 DJ who went on to front Top of the Pops and make guest appearances as a DJ up and down the country.
His legal team had argued during the trial that Travis was the victim of a "witch hunt" and was a scapegoat for Jimmy Savile's crimes. "Police and the authorities missed Jimmy Savile," Travis's barrister, Stephen Vullo, told jurors in his closing speech last week.
"In any society when something goes wrong, a harvest fails, there is a reaction, an understandable reaction."In any society when something goes wrong, a harvest fails, there is a reaction, an understandable reaction.
"Nobody wants sexual predators to get away with their crimes. Everybody wants them to be brought to justice, but there is no justice whatsoever in overreaction, bringing a 68-year-old man of impeccable character to this court and muddying his name to make us feel better about Jimmy Savile. It wouldn't right that wrong." "Nobody wants sexual predators to get away with their crimes. Everybody wants them to be brought to justice, but there is no justice whatsoever in over-reaction, bringing a 68-year-old man of impeccable character to this court and muddying his name to make us feel better about Jimmy Savile. It wouldn't right that wrong."
Travis has consistently protested his innocence since he was arrested in his dressing gown at his home in Mentmore, Bedfordshire, under Scotland Yard's Operation Yewtree inquiry in November 2012. Travis has consistently protested his innocence since he was arrested in a dressing gown at his home in Mentmore, Bedfordshire, under Scotland Yard's Operation Yewtree inquiry in November 2012.
His arrest stemmed from allegations made to police during the Jimmy Savile scandal in October 2012. Several more women came forward to police following publicity around his arrest and an impromptu press conference the DJ held at the gates of his house, in which he strongly denied the women's allegations. His arrest stemmed from allegations made to police during the Savile scandal in October 2012. Several more women came forward to police following publicity around his arrest and an impromptu press conference the DJ held at the gates of his house, in which he strongly denied the women's allegations.
Eleven women told Southwark crown court they had been groped by the DJ in settings including the Top of the Pops studio, a theatre dressing room, a VIP trailer at a Showaddywaddy concert, and live on BBC Radio 4. Eleven women told the court they had been groped by the DJ in settings including the Top of the Pops studio, a theatre dressing room, a VIP trailer at a Showaddywaddy concert, and live on BBC Radio 4.
But over four days on the witness stand, the broadcaster said the allegations were "made up" and the fantasies or exaggerations of women who could "smell money" from selling their story to the press. But over four days on the witness stand, the broadcaster said the allegations were made up and the fantasies or exaggerations of women who could "smell money" from selling their story to the press.
"These things didn't happen. I don't know how I can convince you they didn't happen. I'm a decent human being. I cuddle people, I make jokes with people. If there's been sexual interactions it was always consensual," he told jurors in one exasperated exchange."These things didn't happen. I don't know how I can convince you they didn't happen. I'm a decent human being. I cuddle people, I make jokes with people. If there's been sexual interactions it was always consensual," he told jurors in one exasperated exchange.
The prosector Miranda Moore QC painted the DJ as an opportunistic sexual predator who, in the environs of the BBC in the 1970s and 80s, was able to get away with his actions because no women dared complain. The prosecutor Miranda Moore QC painted the DJ as an opportunistic sexual predator who, in the environs of the BBC in the 1970s and 80s, was able to get away with his actions because no women dared complain.
But a stream of former PAs, BBC colleagues and even the Chuckle Brothers came to court to give glowing character testimonies in his defence.But a stream of former PAs, BBC colleagues and even the Chuckle Brothers came to court to give glowing character testimonies in his defence.
Vullo, for Travis, emphasised to the jury that these witnesses had described Travis as a "gentleman" and far from the sexual predator the prosecution alleged. Vullo emphasised to the jury that these witnesses had described Travis as a gentleman and far from the sexual predator the prosecution alleged.
"The prosecution have thrown quite a lot of mud at the defendant in this case. But mud throwing is not evidence," he told jurors. "It is not evidence capable of supporting or asserting that he has been a sexual predator for 40 years.""The prosecution have thrown quite a lot of mud at the defendant in this case. But mud throwing is not evidence," he told jurors. "It is not evidence capable of supporting or asserting that he has been a sexual predator for 40 years."
The criminal proceedings have already taken a toll on the 68-year-old former DJ. He has moved out of the opulent home he shared with his wife of 43 years, Marianne, in order to pay legal bills. The criminal proceedings have already taken a toll on Travis. He has moved out of the opulent home he shared with his wife of 43 years in order to pay legal bills.
He suffers from chronic pain in his back and knees, an infirmity that once halted the trial when the judge took pity on the veteran broadcaster visibly struggling one morning on the witness stand. His wife, who attended court for the first time on the day the jury retired to consider its verdict, is recovering from breast cancer. He suffers from chronic pain in his back and knees, an infirmity that once halted the trial when the judge took pity on him as he visibly struggled one morning on the witness stand. His wife, who attended court for the first time on the day the jury retired to consider its verdict, is recovering from breast cancer.
Travis was inducted into radio's hall of fame in 2010, capping a 50-year career that started on the offshore pirate station Radio Caroline and was halted on his arrest in November 2012, when Magic AM dropped him from the airwaves. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to draw a line under this testing episode and find a way back behind the microphone.Travis was inducted into radio's hall of fame in 2010, capping a 50-year career that started on the offshore pirate station Radio Caroline and was halted on his arrest in November 2012, when Magic AM dropped him from the airwaves. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to draw a line under this testing episode and find a way back behind the microphone.