Abuse accused to face retrial

A NAILSEA man accused of sexually abusing children has been found not guilty of some of the charges brought against him.

Michael Alvey faced a trial at Bristol Crown Court, which began on January 6, after being charged with 13 counts relating to alleged offences dating back as far as the 1990s.

The 54-year-old, of Yew Tree Gardens, denied all the allegations made against him by three males and one female who were aged under 13 or under 16 at the time of the supposed incidents.

The court heard how Alvey had provided informal sports coaching and also tutoring to some of his alleged victims.

He told the jury he did not have a sexual attraction toward any of the youngsters and also denied ever taking his clothes off in front of them.

After hearing all the evidence, the jury has found him not guilty on seven charges.

These were one count of indecent assault on a child, one of gross indecency with a child, one of sexual assault on a child, one of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and three charges of sexual activity with a child.

However, the jury could not reach a verdict on the remaining six charges and was dismissed.

This means a retrial for the remaining counts, one of sexual activity with a child, one of sexual assault on a child and four of gross indecency with a child, will be held in the future, a date for which is yet to be set.