A police officer was today cleared of picking up prostitutes and indecently assaulting them in the back of his van.
Darren Dolan, 33, of Cleveland Police, was found not guilty of four counts of indecent assault following a week-long trial at Hull Crown Court.
The prosecution alleged the officer had picked up four prostitutes and assaulted them in the back of his van during an evening patrol in Middlesbrough on January 21, 2001.
The court heard he recorded four stop and searches that night but each one was noted down as searching their outer garments only.
Dolan, who denied the charges, said he had not assaulted anyone that night and would never get into the back of a van with anyone as a matter of personal safety.
Some people in the public gallery burst into tears as the jury foreman read out the verdicts and Dolan left the dock. Dolan showed little emotion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article