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| Dave Lee Travis given suspended sentence | Dave Lee Travis given suspended sentence |
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| Dave Lee Travis, the former Radio 1 DJ who was found guilty of attacking a young researcher, has been sentenced to three months suspended for two years. | Dave Lee Travis, the former Radio 1 DJ who was found guilty of attacking a young researcher, has been sentenced to three months suspended for two years. |
| Travis, who was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, was found guilty of groping a young female researcher behind the scenes of the Mrs Merton TV show the victim was working on. | Travis, who was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, was found guilty of groping a young female researcher behind the scenes of the Mrs Merton TV show the victim was working on. |
| London’s Southwark Crown Court heard how Travis got a “weird sexual thrill” when he indecently assaulted the woman, when he cornered her in the corridor of a BBC television studio. He commented on her “poor little lungs” before squeezing her breasts for 10 to 15 seconds. | London’s Southwark Crown Court heard how Travis got a “weird sexual thrill” when he indecently assaulted the woman, when he cornered her in the corridor of a BBC television studio. He commented on her “poor little lungs” before squeezing her breasts for 10 to 15 seconds. |
| Judge Leonard said Travis had “towered” over his victim, and thought he could get away with the attack because he was a TV star. | Judge Leonard said Travis had “towered” over his victim, and thought he could get away with the attack because he was a TV star. |
| He added: “It was an intentional and unpleasant sexual assault. You took advantage of a young woman in a vulnerable position whose job it was to look after you that day.” | He added: “It was an intentional and unpleasant sexual assault. You took advantage of a young woman in a vulnerable position whose job it was to look after you that day.” |
| Travis glanced at the floor and replied “Thank you, your honour” after the judge passed sentence. | Travis glanced at the floor and replied “Thank you, your honour” after the judge passed sentence. |
| Travis had been cleared of an indecent assault charge from 1990 and a sexual assault charge and a sexual assault charge from 2008, but was being retried on these charges after jurors failed to reach a verdict earlier this year. At the trial earlier this year, he was cleared of 12 indecent assault charges. | Travis had been cleared of an indecent assault charge from 1990 and a sexual assault charge and a sexual assault charge from 2008, but was being retried on these charges after jurors failed to reach a verdict earlier this year. At the trial earlier this year, he was cleared of 12 indecent assault charges. |
| On Friday Travis said he was “mortified” and “disappointed” about the conviction, but maintained that he was not “a sexual predator”. | |
| “Whilst I am relieved I’ve been able to prove I’m not a sexual predator, I’m mortified and I’m really disappointed that I was convicted of one count.” | |
| BBC Radio 1 presenter Dave Lee Travis in his studio at Broadcasting House, London, 14 January 1980. The victim, who has chosen to remain anonymous, said in a victim impact statement that they would not be seeking compensation “now or in the future”. | |
| She said: “I was a naïve and trusting 22-year-old when I was subjected to an unprovoked and terrifying physical assault at my place of work. | She said: “I was a naïve and trusting 22-year-old when I was subjected to an unprovoked and terrifying physical assault at my place of work. |
| “I was too paralysed with fear to confront my assailant but immediately told my boss. | “I was too paralysed with fear to confront my assailant but immediately told my boss. |
| She said she feels lucky to have been “psychologically robust enough” deal with the distress and coped with the event by using humour as a defence mechanism. She added that remembering the event still takes her back to feeling like a “scared vulnerable young woman”. | She said she feels lucky to have been “psychologically robust enough” deal with the distress and coped with the event by using humour as a defence mechanism. She added that remembering the event still takes her back to feeling like a “scared vulnerable young woman”. |
| “Being called a liar and a fantasist and being forced to recall evidence in court has been painful. | “Being called a liar and a fantasist and being forced to recall evidence in court has been painful. |
| “I was particularly hurt by the defendant’s claim that financial greed motivated me to come forward. | “I was particularly hurt by the defendant’s claim that financial greed motivated me to come forward. |
| “I have preserved my anonymity and will not claim compensation now or in the future. I simply wanted to tell the truth.” | “I have preserved my anonymity and will not claim compensation now or in the future. I simply wanted to tell the truth.” |
| Additional reporting by PA | Additional reporting by PA |