Jury Discharged in Sexual Assault Trial of Police Officer
The jury in the trial of Fiona Anderson, a female police officer accused of sexually assaulting another woman, has been discharged due to legal reasons.
Anderson, aged 33 and from Exeter, denies two counts of sexual assault alleged to have occurred in 2018 during a visit to Cardiff.
She is a police officer with Devon and Cornwall Police and has been suspended from duty since her arrest in March 2023.
Judge William Hart discharged the jury at Bristol Crown Court after two days of the trial.
The court had previously heard that the two alleged incidents took place in Cardiff while Anderson was off duty.
The judge stated he had
"no choice in these circumstances" but to "refix the trial with a different jury".
He added,
"It is very unfortunate for the complainant and very unfortunate for the defendant, who has been suspended as a police officer since 2023,"and noted that a new trial date would be set in due course.
