A detective chief inspector is due to meet the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to discuss a collapsed sex case trial and how to continue the police investigation.


Detective Chief Inspector Debra Towns, of Richmond police, will talk with the CPS branch crown prosecutor about the acquittal of 24-year-old John Bate.


Mr Bate, of Simpson Road, Ham, was found not guilty at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday, August 2, of two counts of sexual assault, one count of attempted sexual assault, one count of exposure and one count of assault by beating.


It came after Judge David Higgins blasted prosecutors’ “extraordinarily inept case”, saying he did not believe one man was behind the attacks on two women and two teenage girls near Teddington Lock.

Those responsible for the assaults – which were within a six week period between January and March – are still at large.


A spokeswoman for Richmond police said: “Det Chief Insp Towns awaits a meeting with the CPS branch crown prosecutor to review this matter before any decisions regarding any further investigation are made.”