Politician’s wife ‘terrified’ by sex assault claim

CHRISTINE Hamilton, wife of former British Tory MP, Neil Hamilton, broke down and was “terrified” when police arrested her for sexually assaulting a woman, a court has heard.

Mrs Hamilton, 53, and her husband were later cleared of any involvement.

A jury at the Old Bailey is trying trainee teacher Nadine Milroy-Sloan, 29, on charges she lied about the alleged rape.

Ms Milroy-Sloan, of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, denies perverting the course of justice.

The prosecution allege Ms Milroy-Sloan is a sexual fantasist who had never met the Hamiltons and made up the allegations to find fame and make money.

She denies two charges of perverting the course of justice between May 5, 2001, and January 31 last year by making false allegations to police that others had committed criminal offences.

In a statement read to the court yesterday, Mrs Hamilton said she became so upset that she had to see a police doctor when she was told of the claim at Barkingside police station, east London.

She said: "I was searched by a woman officer and I had to see a police doctor because I became so emotional."

Mrs Hamilton said she and her husband had been spending the day recording media interviews about Jeffrey Archer on July 19, 2001 when they first heard about the claim.

Their solicitor rang them in their car and said the police had sufficient evidence to arrest the couple for assault, she said.

After going to the police station, she was told the full details of Ms Milroy-Sloan's rape allegation. Ms Milroy-Sloan had claimed the Hamiltons and a man she claimed to be their "chauffeur", flat owner Barry Lehaney, 62 as well as another unknown man sexually assaulted her.

Mrs Hamilton said she and her husband were shown into a small room at a police station. "They said they had search warrants for our house, flat and car.

"The whole thing was preposterous and false. It was a deeply frightening experience."

Mrs Hamilton said she had never met Ms Milroy-Sloan or Barry Lehaney.

She said on May 5, 2001, the day the alleged attack took place, she had been shopping in Kings Road, Chelsea, had friends round to dinner and had also gone to Claridges Hotel for drinks with her husband.

The couple later produced shop receipts and credit card slips to show they were nowhere near Ilford, Essex the setting of the alleged attack.

Mr Hamilton said in his statement that the couple had never had a chauffeur.