Charges dropped for EDL rooftop protestors (From Dudley News)

Charges dropped for EDL rooftop protestors

4:33pm Friday 30th July 2010 in News

Charges dropped for EDL rooftop protestors

TWO English Defence League members, who were arrested during a rooftop protest, have had all charges dropped against them.

Leon McCreery from Stockport and John Shaw from Knaresborough were arrested during the incident over the May Bank holiday, after being taken down from the roof of a disused factory in Hall Street by riot police.

The pair were bailed following an appearance at Dudley Magistrates Court, but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has today announced it has dropped all charges against them because of "insufficient evidence".

Gill Casey, District Crown Prosecutor for CPS Wolverhampton, said: "When considering whether a case should be prosecuted, the CPS applies the Code for Crown Prosecutors in two parts. The first is the evidential test where we have to be satisfied that there is enough admissible evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction. If the evidence satisfies the first test, then we have to consider the second part the public interest test.

"In the case against John Shaw and Leon McCreery a preliminary evidential test called the threshold test was applied. This was permissible because they were considered a substantial bail risk if released from custody and not all of the evidence was available to the prosecutor at the time that the charging decision was sought by the police. Additionally it was considered to be in the public interest to commence a prosecution.

"I have now had an opportunity of carrying out a review of all the evidence and have applied both parts of the Code and I have made the decision to discontinue the prosecution on the basis that there is now insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction."