A SOUTHAMPTON MAN WHO SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A MENTALLY HANDICAPPED WOMAN, HAS FAILED IN AN APPEAL COURT ATTEMPT TO CLEAR HIS NAME.
A SOUTHAMPTON man who sexually assaulted a mentally handicapped woman, has failed in an Appeal Court attempt to clear his name.Trevor Legg, 38, of Lordshill, was convicted of indecent assault but acquitted of rape by Southampton Crown Court on May 4, last year.
He was sentenced to four years in prison.
His lawyers argued in the Appeal Court against conviction because of a witness's testimony that the 26-year-old victim was "really nice" and "unwilling to upset others".
Joanna Cutts said that evidence tended to indicate the woman was telling the truth, was prejudicial to Legg's defence, and should never have been put before the jury in a case where the victim's credibility was the primary issue.
The court was told how Legg, placed on the sex offenders' register for life, had indecently assaulted the woman with serious learning difficulties resulting from injuries during infancy.
Lord Justice Clarke, sitting with Mr Justice Jack and Judge Neil Denison QC, dismissed the appeal, saying: "The evidence was admissable.
In our judgement, this verdict was safe."
