The prosecution today formally offered no evidence against Wen Zhou Li; not guilty verdicts were entered and HHJ Henshall told Mr. Li that he left court "without a stain on his character".
The internationally renowned violin teacher had been arrested in 2013 and eventually charged in 2014 with serious sexual offences allegedly committed against one of his pupils at the Chetham School of Music in Manchester in the 1990s.
The defence invited the judge to order a full report into the reasons for the significant delay by the CPS in reaching the decision to discontinue; it was asserted that the decision was based upon material and associated legal submissions which had been advanced by the defence and conceded by the prosecution by mid 2015. The decision therefore could - and should- have been made at least 10 months earlier. The judge declined to order such a report or comment upon the prosecution decision or the issues raised by the defence.
Nina Grahame of GCN represented Mr. Li, instructed by Adam Brown of Robert Lizar Solicitors, Manchester.
