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Original poster

Commuter who walked past actress at Waterloo station cleared of 'bizarre' sex assault claim

193 replies

LurkingHusband · 08/02/2016 12:02

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/commuter-who-walked-past-actress-at-waterloo-station-cleared-of-bizarre-sex-assault-claim/ar-BBpcZ5y

A commuter has been cleared of sexually assaulting a well-known actress after a jury rejected claims the crime could have taken place in a brief half-second contact in a busy railway station.

Mark Pearson, a 51-year-old artist and picture framer, was accused of brushing against the actress, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in a mass of train passengers at London’s Waterloo station.

CCTV footage showed Mr Pearson, who was a complete stranger to the alleged victim, did not break his stride as he walked past the woman, who was heading to a rehearsal.

(contd)

Not really much to say Shock. I'm pleased the CPS will "respect the juries decision". The fact they had to state that implies there have been or will be times when they don't accept the juries decision.

OP posts:
AnthonyPandy · 08/02/2016 15:09

Feck. I don't use twitter and can't find it on google. Any ideas anyone?

RidersOnTheStorm · 08/02/2016 15:10

Google found it very quickly.

Arfarfanarf · 08/02/2016 15:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RhodaBull · 08/02/2016 15:11

just look on reddit

foragogogo · 08/02/2016 15:12

totally agree oldzebra - if she has made it up to punish him for barging past her then she has done all women a serious disservice and played right into the hands of the victim-blamers.

You can see in the footage that she does look round after he has gone past so I think there must have been a physical barge and she has embellished it for some reason with the bizarre idea that he also penetrated her.

oldzebra · 08/02/2016 15:15

No, you'll just have to look little harder. It's important thread doesn't name her here as then thread may be deleted.

This is an important issue and should be highlighted but don't want her solicitors using the excuse her name is on mumsnet as a way to close down discussion - that's playing into her hands.

You will find name on Internet as well as Twitter. Besides you don't need Twitter to search Twitter anyway.

Original poster
LurkingHusband · 08/02/2016 15:16

if people start hinting or saying this thread will just get deleted.

Wow ! Is there a sort of monthly draw or something for people who start threads which end up deleted ?

OP posts:
PamDooveOrangeJoof · 08/02/2016 15:19

The report I read said that in the police report she made more about the 'shoulder bump' and brushed over the sexual assault bit. I can't find it now but made me think he barged her and it pissed her off so she threw in the other bit for good measure/

AnthonyPandy · 08/02/2016 15:20

Bloody hell I've heard of her.

SummerMonths · 08/02/2016 15:23

I was recently a juror at the court nearest Wayerloo. Heard two sexual assault cases brought by British Tansport Police. One was utterly baffling. No evidence at all. I wanted to believe the victim so badly but nothing about her story stacked-up and I think she was just confused. I could not understand how the CPS took the case as far as they did. The second case we ended up a hung jury, again there just wasn't the evidence needed to conceive 12 people. Yet it was taken to court twice as it turned out we were the second hung jury.

Arfarfanarf · 08/02/2016 15:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
LurkingHusband · 08/02/2016 15:26

I could not understand how the CPS took the case as far as they did

The CPS have stated many times before that they take "additional factors" into account when deciding to prosecute. Or not prosecute. One of those factors is (despite their denials) clearly political pressure. Which is an oxymoron when talking about justice Sad.

OP posts:
laflaca · 08/02/2016 15:27

Do you think she'll offer an apology to Mark Pearson? It seems to me that he was the innocent victim in all this.

Archfarchnad · 08/02/2016 15:33

Never heard of her, but have heard of the things she's appeared in (surely that can't count as a hint).

The real tragedy is all those cases of sexual assault which don't make it to court for quite trivial reasons, and then this happens...

MooseBeTimeForSnow · 08/02/2016 15:33

I've "heard" her more than I've seen her it turns out.

firesidechat · 08/02/2016 15:34

I can't see her making an apology to be honest. I hope I'm wrong.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 08/02/2016 15:37

My goodness. I've just done a bit of googling and am stunned. The trouble is I have no way of knowing if what I've just read is true and it will always be there in my mind when she is acting now.

oldzebra · 08/02/2016 15:37

I don't suppose she will apologise as then she would be guilty of a crime and imprisoned surely? I think her only defence would be that she was crying out for attention and needs psychological help.

Help to accept that when her grand friends tell her she is a goddess that they are being very kind, most people couldn't identify her in a police line up as 'an award winning actress'.

NeedAScarfForMyGiraffe · 08/02/2016 15:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
LurkingHusband · 08/02/2016 16:08

Interestingly, the UK coverage seems to be a bit shy of mentioning this fact (although I admit I haven't read every report)

"Despite the exculpatory evidence and the recommendation of the presiding judge , the prosecution pushed on"

Although the following is of interest ...

The acquittal comes on the heels of a 2015 pledge by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Alison Saunders to increase rape and sexual assault prosecutions by nearly a third. The beleaguered Saunders was under fire last year for failing to prosecute a member of her own office for child abuse. This has raised speculation that the pursuit of the case against Pearson may have been part of an effort to fill a quota or to regain public confidence in Saunders

"Forgive us for the crimes we are about to commit again,
forgive us for our sins, we are but little men..."

So it seems a little man has been served up to assuage the CPS own failings.

"What do you think of English justice ?"
"I think it would be a good idea."

OP posts:
WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es · 08/02/2016 16:15

Last time I did jury service it was pretty clear cut, but we did spend some time going back over everything to make sure we were sure, spent a bit of time chatting and then realised our buzzer to the courtroom to be let out wasn't working and we were stuck in there for another hour.

AnthonyPandy · 08/02/2016 17:27

From this link that someone posted earlier,

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12146274/Prosecutors-slowed-down-CCTV-in-case-of-commuter-cleared-of-bizarre-sex-assault-on-actress.html,

"The first time the alleged victim saw the CCTV was in court, and her reaction was 'That can't be me in the CCTV'."

I'm confused.

DoinMiFuckinHeadIn · 08/02/2016 17:30

Ffs I must be a really shit googler cos I can't work out who she is. Would some kind soul please pm me?

pedelibero · 08/02/2016 17:31

I must be more out of touch than I'd thought, I've never heard of her. Then again I don't listen to much radio, except (peculiarly for a chap) woman's hour.

firesidechat · 08/02/2016 17:44

Anthony

Back tracking I would guess.

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