CPS News Brief

Dr Majeed Ridha charged over supply of abortion drug

Baljit Ubhey, CPS London Chief Crown Prosecutor, said:

"The Crown Prosecution Service has today authorised the Metropolitan Police Service to charge Dr Majeed Ridha with allegedly encouraging or assisting either (i) the administration of a drug called Misoprostol with intent to procure a miscarriage or (ii) the supply of a drug called Misoprostol for the purpose of procuring a miscarriage. This charge relates to an investigation by The Sunday Times newspaper involving an undercover journalist conducted in September 2012.

“Dr Ridha faces a charge of encouraging or assisting an offence, contrary to section 46 of the Serious Crime Act 2007. He is alleged to have encouraged an offence under either section 58 or section 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

"This decision to prosecute was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. We have determined that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that a prosecution is in the public interest.

"Dr Ridha will appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on 10 April 2014.

“We have also decided that no further action should be taken in relation to a pharmacist who was also connected with the same investigation by The Sunday Times newspaper, as we determined that there was insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.

“May I remind all concerned that Dr Ridha has a right to a fair trial. It is very important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings. For these reasons, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further."

Background

Under s46 of the Serious Crime Act, the prosecution can allege that a defendant encouraged one or more offences. Our duty is to select the most appropriate offence. Parliament allows this form of charging where encouragement of assistance might relate to one or more offence.

Peter Ball (Former Bishop of Gloucester and Lewes) – Charging decision

The Crown Prosecution Service has reviewed the evidence gathered by Sussex Police during its investigation into allegations of abuse by Peter Ball, formerly the Bishop of Gloucester and Bishop of Lewes. Mr Ball, 82, will be prosecuted for misconduct in public office and indecent assault.

Jaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS South East, said:

“After a thorough and careful review, I have decided that Peter Ball should be prosecuted for misconduct in public office and two indecent assaults. It is alleged that he sexually abused a number of young males between 1977 and 1992. The misconduct alleged is that he misused his position and authority to manipulate and prevail upon others for his own sexual gratification. During this time Mr Ball was serving as a Bishop in the Church of England.

“In accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to prosecute. Criminal proceedings are now underway and the defendant has a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

The charges are:

• Misconduct in public office between 1977 and 1992
• Indecent assault on a boy, aged 12 or 13, in 1978
• Indecent assault on a man, aged 19 or 20, between 1980 and 1982

Mr Ball will appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 10 April 2014.

Soldier charged with explosives and terrorism offences

Jane Stansfield, of the Crown Prosecution Service Counter Terrorism Division, said:

“Following an investigation by police of the North West Counter Terrorism Command, we have today authorised charges against Ryan Adam McGee, a serving Rifleman with 5th Battalion the Rifles at the time of his arrest.

“It is alleged that between 31 May 2012 and 29 November 2013, Ryan Adam McGee had possession of a document or record for terrorist purposes, namely a copy of the “Anarchist Cookbook”.

He has been charged with one offence contrary to 58(1)(b) of the Terrorism Act 2000. It is also alleged that Ryan Adam McGee, between September 1 and 30 2013 made an improvised explosive and has therefore also been charged with one offence contrary to section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act 1883.

"This decision to prosecute was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. We have determined that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that a prosecution is in the public interest.

"Ryan Adam McGee will appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on 2 April 2014.

“May I remind all concerned that Ryan Adam McGee has a right to a fair trial. It is very important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings. For these reasons, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further."

CPS decision - Suspected fraud investigated by Northamptonshire Police

Malcolm McHaffie, Deputy Head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said:

“The CPS received a file of evidence from Northamptonshire Police in relation to a 54-year-old woman and her 61-year-old husband on 13 November 2013. Having carefully considered all of the available evidence, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, we have decided there is insufficient evidence to charge any criminal offence.

“We were asked to consider whether there was a case for fraud by abuse of position and theft by disposal of assets belonging to the woman’s mother. We were also asked to consider whether there was a case of fraud by false representation to Northamptonshire Council in relation to the mother’s assets.

“The evidence showed: firstly that the woman’s mother considered the suspects’ conduct to be acceptable; secondly that the suspects acted openly in declaring the sale of the mother’s house to the Council; thirdly that no element of dishonesty could be proved. Therefore we have advised the police to take no further action.

“We understand there is ongoing civil litigation. For the avoidance of doubt our advice to police relates solely to possible criminal action.”

Derbyshire priest sentenced for historic child abuse

A former priest from Derbyshire has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for over twenty sexual offences against young people, dating back over several decades.

The offences were described by Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Janine Smith as ‘a betrayal of trust that devastated the lives of his victims’.

Francis Paul Cullen pleaded guilty to offences including indecent assault on a male, indecency with a child and attempted buggery, all relating to attacks he carried out on seven people aged between seven and 15-years-old between 1957 and 1991.

As a parish priest in Derbyshire, and later in Nottingham, Cullen preyed on children and young people, using his position as a parish priest to gain unsupervised access to his child victims and commit acts of sexual abuse on them.

He was arrested in 1991, but fled while on bail. He was discovered in Tenerife and in 2013 he was arrested on a European Arrest Warrant to face charges against three of his victims.

As a result of this news, four other victims came forward to report crimes he had committed against them.

Janine Smith, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor at CPS East Midlands, said:

“As a Catholic priest, Francis Paul Cullen was a trusted member of his community and held in high regard by his parishioners. Yet right from the very start of his ministry, he was abusing children – boys and girls – in his pastoral care. This was a betrayal of trust that devastated the lives of his victims, affecting many of them well into their adult years.

“Bringing Francis Cullen to justice has been a complex matter, with separate approaches to overseas jurisdictions as the case progressed. When preparing the case for trial, it was important to ensure the court could hear the full account of his criminality and a lot of hard work went into making this possible. His guilty pleas a week before the trial meant that his crimes can be dealt with without his victims having to go through the ordeal of describing what happened to them in court.

“This case very clearly demonstrates that no matter how long ago sexual abuse was committed, victims can see justice done. Perpetrators of these offences have nowhere to hide.”