Force may be sued by TV star cleared of sex assault

FORMER TELEVISION presenter John Leslie is set to make a complaint against Police Scotland and could even sue the force after being acquitted of sexual assault. The ex-Blue Peter and This

Morning star claimed the experience had been the worst of his life, accusing officers of showing “no interest” in obtaining CCTV footage from inside the Edinburgh nightclub where he was alleged to have put his hand down the back of a woman’s trousers on her hen night.

The bride-to-be had told the court Leslie had touched her bottom as they danced together in the Atik nightclub in Edinburgh in June 2017.

But after a two-day trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court the charge was found to be not proven and Leslie was told he was free to leave.

As a result of the case he said he had “lost a year of my life”, adding: “I lost dignity, respect, and I’m unemployable again, even though I was acquitted.”

Leslie told yesterday’s edition of The Mail On Sunday: “I feel as if my heart has been ripped out by this latest case and it has been the worst experience of my life, by a country mile.

“I will be making a formal complaint to the police, but I also wouldn’t rule out a civil action.”

Leslie alleged that the police “were pretty selective in their evidence-gathering” and claimed that “it wasn’t so much a rush to charge me, but a stampede”.

However, he said his defence team secured CCTV footage from the club which “showed my hand for the whole three minutes and 10 seconds of the dance near as damn it in the same position, with twirls, separation, and her hands round my neck pulling me towards her”. Police Scotland told The Mail

On Sunday that “all complaints will be assessed and investigated as appropriate”.