Here is what Nigel Evans himself has to say on the bogus court case against him.
Cleared Nigel Evans accuses prosecutors of bundling weak allegations together to make it look like a stronger case - and complains that the mud-slingers remain anonymous
- Former Deputy Speaker claims the assault allegations against him were too weak to stand on their own
- Complains that the accusers are anonymous while he has been in spotlight
- MP calls for reforms to allow acquitted defendants to reclaim legal costs
By
Hugo Gye
Published: 10:37, 14 April 2014 | Updated: 10:37, 14 April 2014
Anger: Nigel Evans has called for the Crown Prosecution Service to repay his legal expenses
Nigel Evans today accused prosecutors of deliberately 'bundling together' a number of sex assault allegations against him because they were too weak to stand on their own. The former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons was last week acquitted of attacking a string of young men, some of whom said they did not even believe that they were victims of a crime. He complained today that his accusers who were 'throwing mud' were allowed to remain anonymous, while he was thrust into the publicity spotlight. The Ribble Valley MP called for defendants who are cleared of a crime to have their legal costs refunded, claiming he spent £130,000 on defending himself against the allegations. Mr Evans, 56, was charged with one count of rape, five of sexual assault, one attempted sexual assault and two indecent assaults. Last Thursday, a jury at Preston Crown Court unanimously cleared him of all the charges.
He told BBC Radio 4's programme this morning that 'there were weak allegations which were bundled together to make it look as if it were a stronger case'. The MP continued: 'I've likened it to being hit by an Eddie Stobart truck as soon as you wake up, and several times during the day. The only worse thing I could have been accused of was murder. 'The people who are throwing the mud remain anonymous, yet I was put into the full glare of world publicity from day one, as soon as the police knocked on the door. This is something that needs to be looked at.' He denied claims that there is a culture of low-level sexual abuse within Parliament, saying: 'There is a narrative that has been put out there, and people are spreading this narrative, but it's completely wrong.'
Walking free: The former Deputy Speaker has accused prosecutors of cobbling together a weak case
Mr Evans revealed that he would not seek to regain his position as Deputy Speaker, which he resigned last year after being charged with assault, and said he would focus on fighting for reforms to allow acquitted defendants to reclaim their legal costs. 'I've got a voice, and there are a lot of people who've equally gone through the mill and don't have the voice that I have,' he told Today. 'People who are wrongly accused and been put through the mill, they need proper representation. But at the end of it all, when they're acquitted they're told, "You're not going to get a single penny back." That has got to be wrong.' He told ITV's Daybreak that in light of his experiences, he opposes the cuts to legal aid made by the Coalition Government.
Claims: In the wake of the case, allegations have emerged of a culture of sexual abuse in Parliament
'I see things through the prism of having gone through sheer hell for 11 months,' Mr Evans said. 'I believe people who are dragged through the courts, who are acquitted, should get a reasonable legal cost back.' The MP suggested that the Crown Prosecution Service had become over-zealous in pursuing sex abuse claims after failing to charge Jimmy Savile with paedophilia. 'The balance probably went too far in one way and now it seems to have gone too far the other way - that there is almost this we-better-charge-just-in-case - and it does seem to be unfair,' he said. Mr Evans said he had received more than 1,000 messages of support and he was 'heartened' by Prime Minister David Cameron's remarks after the verdict, in which he hinted that the MP will be brought back into the Tory fold.