Exposure and sexual assault allegations dropped against Hartlepool man

Charges of sexual assault and exposure have been dropped against a Hartlepool man.
By Mark Payne
Published 3rd May 2022, 15:58 BST
Updated 20th Jul 2022, 13:27 BST
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Derek Davidson, 39, was previously charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and appeared in court to deny two allegations of sexual assault and two of exposure.

Davidson, of Sandringham Road, Hartlepool, was remanded in custody and a trial fixed for September.

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But the CPS subsequently offered no evidence following a review.

The prosecution offered no evidence for the four allegations.The prosecution offered no evidence for the four allegations.
The prosecution offered no evidence for the four allegations.

A spokesperson said: "Every case must be supported by sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and it must also be in the public interest to prosecute.

“In this case, the complainant withdrew her support for the prosecution at a relatively late stage, which presented significant evidential difficulties in the prosecution case.

"After a subsequent review of the file, the Crown Prosecution took the decision to discontinue four charges against the defendant, who pleaded guilty to only a single charge of drinking above the legal limit for alcohol.”