Mr BS

Mr BS was convicted in January 1993 of rape, indecent assault, buggery, and attempted buggery. Mr BS received a sentence of eight years’ imprisonment.

The prosecution had contended that Mr BS had raped and assaulted two teenage girls during photographic and video sessions arranged with them acting as models.

Mr BS sought leave to appeal. In February 1995 a Single Judge refused the application. The Full Court refused a renewed application in April 1995.

The CCRC received an application for review of the conviction in April 2003.

Following the trial, the police recovered a video camera with footage from the premises of Mr BS. This included footage capturing the events which led to the convictions.

The footage showed that the complainants had consented to all sexual acts which took place and that buggery had not taken place.

The convictions were referred by the CCRC in December 2006 on the grounds that, although Mr BS had no reasonable explanation for failing to put forward the evidence of the film upon which he now relied, it was clear he had been convicted on perjured evidence.

The Court of Appeal quashed all counts of rape, attempted rape and buggery in October 2007. The court substituted in relation to each complainant one count of indecent assault and imposed in relation to each of those counts concurrent sentences of two years’ imprisonment.