Dave Lee Travis faces sexual assault retrial

Former BBC presenter Travis, 68, was cleared of 12 counts of indecent assault earlier this month, but jurors at London’s Southwark Crown Court were unable to reach verdicts on two further charges and were discharged.

And yesterday Judge Anthony Leonard heard that prosecutors are seeking a retrial on the two outstanding charges and a further hearing will take place on 28 March.

Speaking outside court yesterday, Travis referred to when he was found not guilty of the 12 counts.

He said: “I told you that I’d been through 18 months of a nightmare and apparently I was wrong because the nightmare is now going to go on.

“All I can say is, this whole thing started when I was 67 and I just hope that it’s going to end by the time I’m 80.”

Flanked by Marianne, his wife of more than 40 years, Travis faced the waiting press including dozens of photographers.

He said: “The last time I stood here I told you that I’d been suffering – can you stop clicking for a moment guys because I can’t think straight.”

After giving his short statement, he added: “Thank you for your time” before leaving in a black saloon car.

Wearing a black suit and burgundy shirt and tie, Travis was allowed to remain seated in the dock as the matter was discussed in court.

Prosecutor Miranda Moore QC told the court: “The prosecution is seeking a retrial for two outstanding counts.”

She said a retrial would be likely to last just over two weeks.

Travis was accused of indecently assaulting ten women and sexually assaulting another in alleged incidents dating back to 1976, when he was at the height of his fame.

The jury of eight women and four men deliberated for more than 20 hours before finding him not guilty of 12 indecent

assault charges.

But they were not able to agree on a charge of alleged indecent assault against a woman in the early 1990s, along with an alleged sexual assault on a journalist in 2008.

Judge Leonard told the former Top Of The Pops presenter: “You are to return to this court on 28 March. You are readmitted to bail as before.”

Speaking outside the court moments after being found not guilty of the 12 offences on 13 February, Travis had said the case had cost him his reputation along with so much money that he has had to sell his house.

Travis, who went on trial under his birth name David Griffin, said: “I don’t feel like there is a victory in any way, shape or form.

“On the contrary, I think you already know that I have been through a year and a half of hell on this, which included costing me so much money to pay out for my part of this trial.”