Case dropped against community council chairman accused of assault

The chairman of a community council has been cleared of assault after the case was kicked out of court.

Andy Murphy-Brown was due to stand trial at Teesside Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, facing one charge of assault. The 53-year-old, of Cranbrook in Marton, first appeared at the court on March 21 when he denied the charge.

He had been accused of assaulting a woman in Middlesbrough on December 17 last year. The case was dismissed on the day of trial.

Mr Murphy-Brown had been temporarily suspended from the Conservative party while the case was pending. A spokesman for South Tees Conservative Association said: "Standard procedure, in line with Conservative Party rules, is for a temporary suspension to be put in place where a case is active.

"Following the result, the case is no longer active and, in line with standard procedure, the suspension will now be removed. We are pleased Andy’s good name has been restored.”

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