UPDATED: Dave Steele, a former Police sergeant and Operations Manager of the Isle of Wight Festival is to appear before Chichester Crown Court accused of rape this morning (Monday).
The trained dog handler, who served as a Police officer on the Isle of Wight, is facing a single charge of raping a female aged 16 or over following an incident in Cowes back in July 2015.
Mr Steele appeared before the same court on 22nd March last year where he entered a not guilty plea.
Judge Christopher Parker QC is residing over the trial, which is expected to last 5 days.
Dave Steele was appointed Operations Manager of the Isle of Wight Festival back in 2012 following a successful Police career, however it remains unclear if he still holds this position.
UPDATE FRIDAY – The trial against Mr Steele is to continue into next week, it has been confirmed.
The trial, which was only expected to last 5 days, will resume on Monday.
UPDATE MONDAY – Mr Steele was found not guilty by a jury at Chichester Crown Court this afternoon.
The court heard how in June 2015 the defendant invited 3 people back to his flat on The Parade following a night of heavy drinking. According to the victim’s statement to Police, it is there that Steele ‘touched her bottom and legs’ but that she denied his advances. The woman – who cannot be identified for legal reasons – continued to allege that later on Steele entered the bathroom whilst she was using it before ‘pushing her up against the wall and raping her’.
Denying the victim’s account of the incident, Steele told the court that they went to the bathroom together before kissing and having consensual sex, but that the victim then said she couldn’t and he stopped having sexual intercourse with her.
The jury sided with Mr Steele and he has been cleared of any wrong doing.
