The trial of five men accused of plotting to kidnap soccer star David Beckham's pop star wife collapsed Monday after prosecutors ruled the evidence of a key witness was unreliable.
The men, four Romanians and one Kosovo Albanian, were accused of conspiring to kidnap Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham on or before Nov. 2, 2002. They were charged after a story about the alleged plot appeared in the News of the World tabloid newspaper.
The Crown Prosecution Service said Monday that it had decided not to pursue the case at Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court, central London, after deciding that evidence from a 27-year-old Kosovar parking attendant, Florim Gashi, who was paid ?10,000 (US$16,000) by the newspaper, was unreliable.
"Mr. and Mrs. Beckham have had explained to them the stance the prosecution feels compelled to take in this case and I am confident that they understand the reasons for taking these steps," said prosecutor Brian Altman.
"It is therefore in the light of this new material that the prosecution no longer believes that Gashi could be put forward as a witness in court," he said.
RSS