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| Son of Trevor Francis cleared of burgling home of Lee Hendrie | Son of Trevor Francis cleared of burgling home of Lee Hendrie |
| (4 months later) | |
| The son of former England striker Trevor Francis has been unanimously cleared of stealing designer goods from the home of ex-Aston Villa player Lee Hendrie. | The son of former England striker Trevor Francis has been unanimously cleared of stealing designer goods from the home of ex-Aston Villa player Lee Hendrie. |
| Jurors at Warwick crown court took little more than an hour to find Francis not guilty of a single count of burglary following a four-day trial. | Jurors at Warwick crown court took little more than an hour to find Francis not guilty of a single count of burglary following a four-day trial. |
| In a statement issued after the verdict, the 26-year-old and his family said he had been through two years of hell because the Crown Prosecution Service had withheld vital information on the case. | In a statement issued after the verdict, the 26-year-old and his family said he had been through two years of hell because the Crown Prosecution Service had withheld vital information on the case. |
| Francis, a cleaning company supervisor from Solihull, West Midlands, told the court he visited Hendrie's £1.6m home in Rowington, Warwickshire, in May 2011 to assess the cost of cleaning the property. Francis was initially questioned about the alleged break-in in August 2011 after his fingerprints were found in a one-bedroom cottage attached to Hendrie's mansion. | Francis, a cleaning company supervisor from Solihull, West Midlands, told the court he visited Hendrie's £1.6m home in Rowington, Warwickshire, in May 2011 to assess the cost of cleaning the property. Francis was initially questioned about the alleged break-in in August 2011 after his fingerprints were found in a one-bedroom cottage attached to Hendrie's mansion. |
| Hendrie and his wife, Emma, had alleged that six souvenir football shirts, a Vertu mobile phone, sunglasses, ladies' footwear, a set of golf clubs, an earring and a designer bag were taken from the cottage between 1 July and 2 August 2011. | Hendrie and his wife, Emma, had alleged that six souvenir football shirts, a Vertu mobile phone, sunglasses, ladies' footwear, a set of golf clubs, an earring and a designer bag were taken from the cottage between 1 July and 2 August 2011. |
| The trial was told that Hendrie's wife submitted an insurance claim form following the burglary which Francis's counsel described as containing "bare-faced" lies. | The trial was told that Hendrie's wife submitted an insurance claim form following the burglary which Francis's counsel described as containing "bare-faced" lies. |
| The form, in which it was falsely stated that Hendrie had no previous convictions, was not given to defence lawyers until part-way through this week's trial. | The form, in which it was falsely stated that Hendrie had no previous convictions, was not given to defence lawyers until part-way through this week's trial. |
| In a statement read out by defence solicitor Jim Crocker after the not guilty verdict, the Francis family questioned why the case had been brought before a jury. | In a statement read out by defence solicitor Jim Crocker after the not guilty verdict, the Francis family questioned why the case had been brought before a jury. |
| Addressing the media on the steps of the court, Crocker said: "James Francis, his father Trevor, mother Helen and brother Matthew are obviously delighted and relieved at the jury's unanimous verdict. | Addressing the media on the steps of the court, Crocker said: "James Francis, his father Trevor, mother Helen and brother Matthew are obviously delighted and relieved at the jury's unanimous verdict. |
| "They all thank their legal team, their witnesses and the jury." | "They all thank their legal team, their witnesses and the jury." |
| Accusing the CPS of withholding information about the insurance claim from the defence, Crocker added: "That documentation showed incontrovertibly that false information had been submitted to the Halifax in support of an insurance claim. | Accusing the CPS of withholding information about the insurance claim from the defence, Crocker added: "That documentation showed incontrovertibly that false information had been submitted to the Halifax in support of an insurance claim. |
| "The defence team had specifically requested these documents from the Crown Prosecution Service, but they had declined to produce them by asserting that they were not relevant. | "The defence team had specifically requested these documents from the Crown Prosecution Service, but they had declined to produce them by asserting that they were not relevant. |
| "These documents were only produced on the second day of the trial. | "These documents were only produced on the second day of the trial. |
| "This resulted in two years of hell and worry for James and his family, not to speak of the incredible waste of public and private money and resources. | "This resulted in two years of hell and worry for James and his family, not to speak of the incredible waste of public and private money and resources. |
| "In our view this case should never have been brought against James Francis, a man of good character." | "In our view this case should never have been brought against James Francis, a man of good character." |
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