OTIS FERRY TRIAL: Charge could be dropped (From Oxford Mail)

OTIS FERRY TRIAL: Charge could be dropped

2:03pm Monday 9th March 2009 in News

Otis Ferry, the son of rock star Bryan, was told today that charges of “witness nobbling” — which saw him locked up for four months — are likely be dropped.

Ferry, 26, the son of the former Roxy Music singer, is due to stand trial on charges of robbing a hunt monitor, assault and interfering with a witness.

The alleged offences occured while Ferry, of Eaton Mascott, Shropshire, was riding with the Oxfordshire-based Heythrop Hunt.

Ferry, who is the joint master of the Shropshire Hunt, learned the charge of perverting the course of justice was set to be abandoned, due to “inconsistencies”.

Gloucester Crown Court judge Martin Picton told prosecutor Stephen Dent he wanted “something by way of explanation” given he had remanded Ferry over Christmas because of the allegation.

Judge Picton said he had agreed to the remand because of the supposed seriousness of the charge and was now "taken aback" to hear no evidence was due to be offered.

Mr Dent said of the decision: "Further investigations have revealed inconsistencies that the Crown are unhappy with. Inconsistencies in the evidence. There's a lot of detail in the background to that decision."

A different barrister is due to prosecute the case at the trial, and Judge Picton ordered he attend court at a later date to explain the decision in more detail.

The judge added: "This is nonsense at the moment. I'm not proceeding without a much fuller explanation of what's going on here."