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Former Bristol Rugby player Richard Skuse 'had no idea woman was a prostitute' |
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Crimewatch
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Published in The Bristol Evening Post
27th January 2012
FORMER Bristol rugby player Richard Skuse was found with a known prostitute in his car, but escaped conviction after claiming he did not know she was a hooker. The retired prop forward, who also played for Premiership champions Saracens, was found not guilty of soliciting a prostitute at North Avon magistrates' court yesterday.
Mr Skuse, 31, picked up Hannah Dack in the notorious Fishponds Road "red light district" before plain-clothed anti-vice officers stopped him on Priory Road, Knowle Park, shortly after midnight last October 6.
When PCs Laura Shires and Dale Morgan approached his black Mitsubishi 4x4 on that wet night, Mr Skuse was in the driver's seat wearing only a shirt, shorts and flip-flops, and Miss Dack was his passenger. But Mr Skuse, who is single, told police and magistrates he did not know what she did for a living and had no intention of paying for sex.
He said he met her in Lloyds Bar on the Harbourside when he was "wasted" on a night out with friends several weeks earlier. He did not know until the next morning he had exchanged numbers with her, waking up to a text message asking how his night was. He said she started texting him and they spoke a few times on the phone before she asked him what he was doing on the night of October 5.
Home alone in Martha's Orchard, Bishopsworth, Skuse said he agreed she could come round and went to pick her up after she had been to a party. Not knowing what she looked like other than vague descriptions from his friends, Mr Skuse called her as he drove along Fishponds Road, before picking her up on Argyle Street.
Unbeknown to Mr Skuse, prostitute and escort Miss Dack, who also uses the first name Leone and surname Di Marco, had already told police carrying out an anti-vice operation that she was after "just one punter" before heading home.
Giving evidence, PC Shires said she cautioned Miss Dack for soliciting and said the prostitute described Mr Skuse as a "friend", a "client" and said they were going to Bath for a drink, to "discuss business".
Mr Skuse strenuously denied this and later maintained the pair were going back to his house to watch TV and "get to know each other".
"I can now see how it would look, but that's not how it is at all," he said. "I was intrigued to see who I'd swapped numbers with. I didn't have any money on me to pay for sex anyway."
Despite offering his phone, Mr Skuse's mobile was not examined on the night and neither he nor his car were searched. By the time the former England under-21 was interviewed he had deleted the text messages and Miss Dack's number. He told the magistrates yesterday: "I wish I had kept it (the messages) now, obviously, but I didn't think."
Clearing Mr Skuse, presiding magistrate Alan Grynyer said the prosecution had not proved beyond reasonable doubt that he intended to pay for sex and said in their view he had been naive. Relieved, he said: "Thank you very much, thank you."
Now living in Cardiff, Mr Skuse, who also played for London Irish, retired last year through injury.
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