Newbury & District bus company driver, Peter Clarke from Ball Hill, cleared of sexually assaulting school pupil passenger

A school bus driver has been cleared of groping a girl pupil.

Jurors at Reading Crown Court took just two hours to acquit Peter Clarke, a veteran driver for Newbury and District bus company, of sexual touching.

It was the second time the 72-year-old, of Ball Hill, had stood trial on the charge – last July a jury was unable to agree a verdict, prompting this month’s retrial.

During the second trial at Reading Crown Court the jury was shown CCTV footage of the alleged incident, said to have happened on February 28, 2023.

Robert Meikle, prosecuting, said the girl had been walking to catch a school bus when Mr Clarke approached her and pointed out that she had absent-mindedly walked past it.

He then repeatedly groped her buttock, the court heard.

A friend of the girl, who allegedly saw the incident and who had caught another bus, told the jury: “I did a double take.

“I looked back and saw her face; she looked quite shocked and so was I.

“He slapped her on the bottom with an open palm – it wasn’t an accident.

“He immediately followed this up with two further taps to her bottom.”

The witness latter texted the girl to ask: “Did your bus driver just touch your a***?”

The alleged victim burst into tears when recounting the incident to her mother later, the court heard.

Mr Clarke was arrested and, in a prepared statement, denied any sexual touching.

Giving evidence, he recalled his shock at going in to work the next day and being told he was to be suspended.

When told by his bosses that a complaint of sexual touching had been made against him, Mr Clarke said he replied: “You must be joking.”

He insisted he had simply touched the girl on the arm.

Mr Meikle, during cross examination, said: “You had a moment of madness, didn’t you?

“You had a bit of a squeeze, a bit of a grope, then carried on as if nothing had happened, didn’t you?”

Mr Clarke replied: “I didn’t do it.”

He denied finding the girl attractive and insisted: “I’m an honest and straight person; I do not tell lies.

“It’s the way I was brought up – I’m old school.”

Adam Williams, defending, said the CCTV footage was too indistinct to confirm the girl’s testimony, as the prosecution had claimed.

He handed character references to the judge from friends and colleagues of Mr Clarke.

Mr Williams reminded jurors that his client was a man of impeccable previous character, with no convictions, reprimands or warnings against his good name.

Mr Clarke’s character remained unblemished after the jury returned its verdict on the single charge.