Barry George, who was cleared of murdering television newsreader Jill Dando following a successful appeal, has denied raping a teenage girl almost four decades ago. The 66-year-old, from County Cork, Republic of Ireland, appeared before a court on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old girl in 1987.
Court appearance
George pleaded not guilty at Southwark Crown Court on Monday to one count of rape and two counts of indecent assault. Appearing via video-link, he also denied an alternative offence of attempted rape, according to reports. The alleged incidents took place in the Hammersmith and Fulham area of west London between September 6 and 12, 1987.
Judge Alexander Milne KC granted George bail. He will next appear at the court on September 30 for a trial date to be set.
Background of the case
George was originally convicted in 2001 for the murder of Jill Dando, a 37-year-old former Crimewatch presenter who was shot dead outside her home in Fulham, London, on April 26, 1999. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. However, his conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal in November 2007, and he was cleared by a jury in August 2008 after a retrial.
No one has been convicted of Ms Dando's killing since.
Allegations from 1987
George was arrested in 2000, a year after Ms Dando's murder, but the new allegations relate to a separate incident involving a 14-year-old girl. The charges include rape, indecent assault, and attempted rape, all alleged to have occurred over a six-day period in September 1987.
The case continues.
