Barry George Denies Decades-Old Rape Allegations

A man acquitted of the murder of television personality Jill Dando has refuted allegations of raping a 14-year-old girl nearly four decades ago. Barry George, 66, from County Cork, Republic of Ireland, pleaded not guilty to one charge of rape and two charges of indecent assault at Southwark Crown Court. The incidents are said to have occurred in the Hammersmith and Fulham area of west London between September 6 and 12, 1987. George, who appeared via video-link, also denied an additional charge of attempted rape. The court set a trial date for September 30, with George being granted bail by Judge Alexander Milne KC. George’s previous arrest in 2000 for the murder of Ms. Dando, a popular Crimewatch presenter, led to a conviction in 2001, which was later overturned in 2007. He was acquitted by a jury in 2008 after a retrial. Ms. Dando, 37, was tragically shot outside her home in Fulham, west London, on April 26, 1999, and her murder remains unsolved.