Ravel Morrison cleared: West Ham midfielder has assault charges dropped

He was due to go on trial at Manchester Crown Court later this month accused of hitting his ex-girlfriend and her mother

Premier League footballer Ravel Morrison arrives at Manchester Crown Court where he faces charges of assault on his ex-girlfriend. (Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

West Ham midfielder Ravel Morrison has been cleared of all charges of assaulting his ex-girlfriend and her mother.

The 21-year-old was accused of hitting his ex Reah Mansoor, 19, and her mother, Parveen Mansoor, 39, after a night out at a nightclub in his home city of Manchester last July 24.

He was due to go on trial at Manchester Crown Court later this month but on Thursday the charges were dropped by the prosecution and Morrison, who was not in court, was found not guilty.

Guy Mathieson, prosecuting, told the court the charges had been withdrawn after Morrison's defence team recovered CCTV footage of the first alleged assault outside the One Central nightclub, in Manchester city centre.

It showed that Morrison had not hit his ex, as was alleged, and she had "slumped" to the floor on her own.

The ex-girlfriend also withdrew her statement alleging Morrison later assaulted her outside her home when he dropped her off and there was "reluctance" from her mother to proceed with the alleged assault on her.

All three charges of assault were withdrawn.

Morrison had also been initially accused of threatening to throw acid in the face of his ex and have her shot during a four-year period of harassment.

But at a hearing last November the harassment charge was also withdrawn by the prosecution and he was found not guilty on those charges.

Morrison is currently back with West Ham after a loan spell with Cardiff. He has been linked with a move to Italian side Lazio.

He was first arrested last August after it was alleged that, during a night out, he assaulted his ex and, after "bundling" her into his Porsche Panamera car, took her home to her mother's house in Salford.

When they got back to the house, he is alleged to have assaulted Miss Mansoor again, as well as her mother.

But Mr Mathieson said Morrison's lawyers had got the CCTV footage from an office building which captured the alleged first assault.

He said that, in her statement, Miss Mansoor said she remembered her boyfriend standing in front of her and then waking up on the floor with him standing over her.

Mr Mathieson continued: "When reviewing the CCTV footage, it's clear there's a gap she doesn't remember between those two statements.

"She's seen falling, or slumping to the ground, remaining there for a minute or two before, quite clearly, the defendant and her friend come to her assistance, trying to get her to stand up.

"And it is right, thereafter, the Porsche Panamera, the defendant's car, is seen to come, she's put, bundled or half-carried into the car and she's then taken home.

"It's quite clear from that CCTV footage there's no assault at that stage.

"The Crown have to accept there's a gap in the evidence and the Crown is in the position where they have to reconsider the prospect of a conviction and offer no evidence in respect of count one."

PA