Ex-Mayor harassment case has been dropped
Councillor Paul Blakeley, 27, had been due to stand trial at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court.
The offence was said to have occurred between April 7 and June 22 last year. Clr Blakeley was accused of sending a woman unwanted messages via email, texts, phone calls and WhatsApp.
He denied he pursued a course of conduct amounting to harassment, stating these were two-way conversations between himself and the alleged victim.
His trial was due to be held on Friday, however the complainant failed to turn up for the hearing.
The prosecutor offered no evidence and the matter was formally withdrawn.
After the case Clr Blakeley, of Water Royd Lane in Mirfield, said he was “extremely dismayed” to have been charged in the first place and described the allegations made against him as “malicious and false.”
He added: “Whilst I am in no doubt some of my reputation has been smeared by some of these allegations, I hope I can focus on rebuilding this.”
Clr Blakeley was previously in court last March when he was banned from the road for his second drink-driving offence in less than three years.
The Mirfield town councillor stood down as mayor prior to the hearing.
On that occasion magistrates banned him from driving for three years.