Travesty of a trial... fury of spa woman cleared of groping
A SPA owner cleared of groping a male client during a massage yesterday condemned her trial as a “travesty”.
Kerry Brocklebank, 43, walked free after the £50,000 case, as law chiefs faced questions over why she was ever prosecuted.
Ms Brocklebank had been charged with sexually assaulting a keen runner while drunk and wearing a bikini as he waited for a sports massage.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed he felt “violated” and accused her of touching his thighs and lower back.
But she told jurors she only rubbed oil into his calf muscles – not a “sexual zone”. She also said she was wearing a one-piece swimsuit.
Ms Brocklebank denied flirting with him but admitted being “tipsy”.
The encounter at Huntingdon Spa, in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, last October has had a serious impact on her business, Cambridge Crown Court heard.
A statement issued on her behalf after the five-day trial said: “Kerry, her family and friends are satisfied with the verdict.
“This has been a distressing time when allegations have been made that have had an extremely negative impact on Kerry’s business reputation and income, which is a travesty.
“Her business will continue to run without Kerry for the time being.”
During the trial, Ms Brocklebank accused the complainant and a sports therapist, Henry Godfree, of concocting the allegation in an attempt to win compensation from her.
She said she believed she had interrupted “something inappropriate” between the man and Mr Godfree when she walked into the treatment room.
Mr Godfree told the jury he is not gay.
Ms Brocklebank, of Huntingdon, was cleared of sexual assault and an alternative of common assault.
She was also found not guilty of perverting the course of justice over messages she sent to Mr Godfree.
The Crown Prosecution Service defended the decision to take her to court. A spokeswoman said: “The decision to charge in this case was made in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors following receipt of a file of evidence from police.”