Charges were dropped only last week against 19-year-old Connor Fitzgerald. Photo / Facebook
Charges were dropped only last week against 19-year-old Connor Fitzgerald. Photo / Facebook
These are the bombshell messages that exonerated a British man accused of rape — including one in which the alleged victim wrote "I'll see you in court".
Other messages sent to 19-year-old Connor Fitzgerald - who said his life had been "ruined" - read: "If I can't have you, no-one can".
Charges were dropped only last week against the BT engineer when it emerged that the complainant, who is entitled to lifelong anonymity, had sent the texts threatening to destroy him, the Daily Mail reports.
One of the messages read: "I'm not just going to mess up his life, I'm going to ruin it lol [laugh out loud]."
The case is the latest in a string of investigations or trials in the UK that have collapsed after police failed to disclose vital evidence to defence lawyers.
Fitzgerald, from South Norwood, south London, told The Sun: "It's been heartbreaking. It felt like I was guilty until proven innocent. My life has been ruined. I'm scared to even leave the house because everyone thinks I'm a rapist."
I'm not just going to mess up his life, I'm going to ruin it lol.
It comes after Scotland Yard apologised to Liam Allan for failing to provide vital text messages during the 22-year-old's rape trial, in which he was found not guilty.
Fitzgerald was arrested in front of his mother and sister in November when police officers raided the family home. It followed a complaint that a woman made in June.
She alleged Fitzgerald raped her after a drunken night out.
After the arrest he was denied bail and was instead held on remand at HMP High Down, which is a category B prison in Banstead, Surrey.
He was reprieved after Fitzgerald's brother found some of the text messages from the woman on his iCloud account and informed the authorities.
The missing texts also showed the woman saying that she had enjoyed the sex.
The case was formally dropped at Croydon Crown Court in South London - the same court where Allan stood trial - last week when the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence.
The alleged victim threatened to ruin Connor Fitzgerald's life. Photo / Daily Mail
The woman threatened attempted rape charges. Photo / Daily Mail
Messages between the pair showed the woman saying that she had enjoyed the sex. Photo / Daily Mail
Fitzgerald has since said that he plans to sue the police and CPS. "If my brother hadn't found the texts, I'd have ended up in prison for 12 years or more," he said.
A CPS spokesman said: "This case was charged in accordance with the Threshold Test, which is applied in serious cases where further evidence is expected to become available within a reasonable period.
"A decision to charge under the Threshold Test must be kept under review, and prosecutors are required to take account of any change in circumstances as a case develops.
"In January 2018, police provided more material in this case. Upon review of that material, it was decided that there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.
"We therefore decided to offer no evidence at a hearing at Croydon Crown Court on January 22."
And a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We are content with the investigation and our disclosure work, which was conducted in liaison with the CPS.
"During the course of the hearing there was no adverse comment from the judge about the police investigation.'"
It comes after the litany of blunders that led to Allan being wrongly accused of rape was revealed, as police admitted no one will be disciplined over the botched prosecution.
A review of his case found a "lack of knowledge" by police and prosecutors was to blame for the 22-year-old spending two years with the charges hanging over him - ahead of a trial which was halted at Croydon Crown Court.
A detective was criticised for his handling of 57,000 messages found on the alleged victim's phone, some of which fatally undermined the case.
