James Rowe: Former Chesterfield manager has sexual assault trial delayed after ‘appalling’ hearing
Former Chesterfield FC manager James Rowe, at Derby Crown Court The defence barrister of former Chesterfield Football Club manager James Rowe has issued a scathing attack on the British legal system after being told his trial into sexual assault allegations[1] will not be heard for two years. Rowe, 40, who has denied the charge, was to stand trial this week at Derby Crown Court.
But a combination of unforced incidents, including the prosecutor becoming unwell after a cyber attack at her chambers left her unable to access important case documents, a broken heating system and a juror not fully understanding English, has led to the scheduled four-day hearing being pushed back until October 7 next year. It had initially been rescheduled for December 8, 2025, until an eleventh-hour trial diary switch. Rowe’s lawyer Peter Eguae said the long delay was “appalling,” and said of his client: “This is a human being.”
Judge Jonathan Bennett offered some “sympathy” to the defendant, who looked deflated as he sat in the glass backed dock and with his girlfriend supporting him from the public gallery, that his “life was on hold” as was the complainant’s in the case, and that he was “innocent until proven guilty.” The judge, who refused the defence’s plea not to adjourn the trial, admitted “things have got worse” across the country with many cases not being scheduled until 2025 “because of the scarcity of people available to prosecute.” He said the Rowe trial, which should have opened on Tuesday after a jury was sworn in, had been plagued with problems.”
After the jury was selected on Monday there was “a problem with the heating” after the boiler system broke down, the judge said. He told how a cyber attack on the Chambers of prosecutor Dawn Pritchard had led to her “being unable to access emails in the case.” On Tuesday the case should have been opened by Miss Pritchard, who had been expected to deliver her opening speech and outline the Crown’s case, but she was unable to attend because of a sudden illness.
Story continues The judge said:”Miss Pritchard was unwell and we were looking for alternative counsel and had sought to get a silk and one was lined up but it didn’t materialise.” There had also been a last minute problem with one of 12 jury members sworn in.
He later advised English was not his first language and he warned he may struggle with fully understanding some of the evidence and so was dismissed. The judge said he had “sympathy” for the defendant as “he is not able to work in his chosen job”. He continued: “Judges up and down the country have to say to defendants serious allegations of a sexual nature trials will not be heard until late 2024 and 2025.
He explained: “There continues to be a lack of judges, courtrooms and members of the bar being allowed to prosecute. “Regrettably, I have to adjourn this case.” Mr Eguae reluctantly accepted a new trial date in two years – in December 2025 – but after an adjournment an earlier date of October was fixed.
The lawyer said he was “appalled” at the judicial system “in the UK” and the “timeline of this case,” asking: “What are we doing? This [my client] is a human being. He wants to retain my services.
It is appalling.” He said he had worked as a barrister in different countries “where a murder trial could take five years to be heard” but he did not expect such delays in the British legal system. Rowe of Breaston, Derbyshire, who is a previous West Ham Academy coach, was freed on bail.
He had quit his non-league club after being charged with one count of sexual assault on November 24, 2021. He joined Chesterfield in November 2020 before being temporarily suspended from his role in January 2022 after police launched an investigation and then leaving by “mutual consent” the following month. Rowe, a former player, was then appointed manager of AFC Fylde in March but left when he was charged by Derbyshire Police in September that year.
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References
- ^ his trial into sexual assault allegations (www.telegraph.co.uk)
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