Amy boyfriend's rape charge 'hell'

Dec 13 2012

The boyfriend of the late Amy Winehouse has spoken of his hell after being cleared of raping a woman who slept in his bed.

Reg Traviss, 35, was acquitted by a jury at Southwark Crown Court after less than three hours' deliberation.

Leaving court, he hit out at the authorities for not stopping "the train" of a very weak prosecution and said he hoped to fall in love again after losing the Back To Black singer in July last year.

The complainant alleged Traviss twice raped her at his central London flat after getting drunk together on December 30 last year. She said despite waking to find him attacking her she went back to bed with him to sleep but found him doing it again.

Mr Traviss said the police should have dropped the investigation after looking at CCTV that contradicted her version of events. She told investigators she was so drunk she could not stand up. Footage showed her walking freely and unaided with Mr Traviss to get in a taxi to his flat.

He said: "I am really relieved, really relieved it's all over. I never did it. The last nine months or however long has been crazy. It feels like anyone can make a complaint and end up having their day in court. Being impartial, that's fair enough and I think it is right. I can understand why it's like that but in reality a train starts running and in this case the person who made the complaint wasn't investigated, the police didn't know anything about her."

The film director said the authorities did not want to stop "the train" of the prosecution for various reasons. He said he did not think "for one minute" that the police or Crown Prosecution Service thought he was guilty. "I don't think the judge thought I did it either," he said.

Calling for anonymity for defendants in rape cases, Mr Traviss said the complainant was either mentally ill or could have had a financial agenda. The trial heard that the woman, 27, often talked about being "skint" and that she accepted £25 from Mr Traviss the morning after for money she had spent on drinks.

Mr Traviss, supported by his friends and brother Richard who screamed with joy at the verdict, said: "In a nutshell she is either mentally ill or she is evil and had an agenda. Whether or not that worked out or would be fulfilled, she was also on that train and had to see it through to the end." Mr Traviss said he believed if he had been convicted the complainant may have tried to sue him. "It could have been purely monetary," he said.

He added: "She might have perceived it as a one-night stand and felt ashamed and tried to justify it by saying I have taken advantage of her. None of us know why she did it." Mr Traviss said he had had a torrid time since Winehouse's death with an "unreal 18 months" but hoped he was over the worst and could fall in love again. He has recently been photographed kissing the actress Sheridan Smith, whom he thanked for her support.