Sex case dropped against Penwortham man from Spain

4:48pm Friday 4th July 2008

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A former deep sea diving supervisor from Penwortham, cleared of a number of sex offences dating back to the 1970s, will not face a re-trial on four other charges.

Michael Dugdale had been acquitted on a total of 12 charges of rape and indecent assault.

But the jury at Preston Crown Court was unable to reach verdicts on four other charges of indecent assault.

The Crown has now decided, following consultation with senior lawyers, there was no realistic prospect of a conviction.

The complainants had been consulted and were adamant they had wanted a retrial to take place.

Judge Stuart Baker ordered that the charges should lie on the file.

He told 60-year-old Dugdale, who lives in Spain, that he would be able to apply for costs to cover his travel expenses for attending court hearings.

Dugdale was extradited from Spain after the complaints were made by four women - three of them were children at the time of the alleged offences when he lived at Penwortham, Preston.

During his trial, he described the allegations as totally false and he denied having sexual relations with any of the complainants.