We are nearly into 2018. Why and how did this happen
A Student's two-year rape nightmare after police 'sat on crucial evidence proving his innocence'
Prosecutors dramatically dropped all charges against Liam Allan, 22, after discovering a disc with 40,000 messages had not been disclosed by police, it has been reported
A rape trial dramatically collapsed after prosecutors discovered crucial evidence proving the defendant's innocence had not been disclosed by police.
Student Liam Allan, 22, faced up to 20 years in jail after being charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault following a Metropolitan Police investigation.
He always maintained he had consensual sex with the alleged victim and almost two years later, the case finally came to court.
Yesterday, all charges were dropped and Mr Allan walked free after lead barrister Jerry Hayes made a bombshell announcement.
Newly-appointed to the case as it came to trial, he ordered police to hand over all telephone records.
According to the Times, detectives had repeatedly refused requests from Mr Allan's lawyers to examine any such evidence claiming there was nothing relevant to the case.
But Mr Hayes said he discovered police had a computer disk with 40,000 messages from the woman which "blew the prosecution case out the water".
They showed the woman pestering Mr Allan for "casual sex" and telling friends how much she enjoyed sleeping with him, The Times reports.
Mr Hayes apologised to Mr Allan as he sat in the dock and offered no evidence.
Judge Peter Gower found him not guilty on all counts and demanded an investigation "at the very highest level".
He added: "Something has gone very, very wrong in the way this case was investigated and brought to court."
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said they offered no evidence in the case on Thursday, as it was decided "there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction".
Speaking outside court, Mr Allan told The Times: "I can't explain the mental torture of the past two years.
"I feel betrayed by the system which I had believed would do the right thing - the system I want to work in."
Writing in The Times, Mr Hayes said the case was an example of how the justice system "is not just creaking, it is about to croak."
On the missing evidence, he added: "I told the judge that this was the most appalling failure of disclosure that I have ever encountered."
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We are aware of this case being dismissed from court and are carrying out an urgent assessment to establish the circumstances which led to this action being taken.
"We are working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and keeping in close contact with the victim whilst this process takes place."
A spokesman for the CPS said: "A charge can only be brought if a prosecutor is satisfied that both stages of the Full Code test in the Code for Crown Prosecutors are met, that is, that there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and that a prosecution is required in the public interest.
"All prosecutions are kept under continuous review and prosecutors are required to take account of any change in circumstances as the case develops.
"In November 2017, the police provided more material in the case of Liam Allan. Upon a review of that material, it was decided that there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.
"Therefore we offered no evidence in the case against Liam Allan at a hearing on December 14 2017.
"We will now be conducting a management review together with the Metropolitan Police to examine the way in which this case was handled."
I personally believe the accused man will find it hard to ever get over this
