Mr ED

Mr ED was tried for rape at Croydon Crown Court in February 2003. He was convicted and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment with a three year extension period.

The judge also imposed a Disqualification Order preventing him from working with children for life, under the Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000. Mr ED was also required to sign the sex offenders’ register for life. He was released from prison in October 2007.

In 2012, Mr ED was charged under section 7 of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 for breach of his Disqualification Order as he had been refereeing youth team football matches.

The prosecution was formally abandoned by the Crown Prosecution Service at Woolwich Crown Court on 12 July 2012 when it was realised that Mr ED’s Disqualification Order was unlawful.

A Disqualification Order could only properly be imposed where a person had been convicted of an offence against a child; the victim in Mr ED’s case was over 18 years of age.

The CCRC received an application for review of the Disqualification Order in October 2012.

The CCRC referred the Disqualification Order in November 2013 on the basis that the judge had no power to impose it and it was, therefore, unlawful.

The Court of Appeal quashed the Disqualification Order in June 2014.