Barry George, the man cleared of murdering Jill Dando, appears in court accused of raping child

"Barry George, 65, who lives in Co. Cork, is charged with rape and two counts of indecent assault against the same child, who cannot be identified. The incidents are alleged to have taken place in the Hammersmith and Fulham area of west London between September 6 and 12 1987. On Wednesday, George appeared at the Old Bailey by video-link from Dublin for a plea and case management hearing."

"Former Crimewatch presenter Ms Dando, 37, was one of the BBC's highest-profile stars when she was shot outside her home in Fulham, west London, on April 26 1999. Ms Dando (37) was shot and killed on the doorstep of her home in Fulham, west London, and the case remains unsolved. Mr George has always denied any responsibility for her death. Mr George, who lived nearby, was identified as a suspect following one of the largest murder inquiries ever undertaken in England."

Barry George, 65, of County Cork, is charged with rape and two counts of indecent assault against a girl aged 14. The alleged offences are said to have occurred in Hammersmith and Fulham, west London, between September 6 and 12, 1987. George appeared at the Old Bailey by video-link from Dublin and spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth. A plea hearing was adjourned until February 13 and he was granted continued unconditional bail. Prosecutors applied to add an attempted rape charge as an alternative. George was arrested in 2000 over the 1999 murder of Jill Dando; he was convicted in 2001, had the conviction quashed in 2007, and was cleared at retrial in 2008.

Read at Irish Independent