Robbery case against Shrewsbury man is dropped
A self-employed carpenter claims that he has been left facing financial ruin after being wrongly accused of robbery.
Lee Holloway, from Field Crescent, Harlescott, Shrewsbury, was cleared last month of one count of robbery after the prosecution offered no evidence.
His friend Ian Thompson, from Windermere Road, was also cleared of a similar charge.
Following the court case, Mr Holloway said his life had been on hold for 14 months before the charges were finally dropped at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
In August last year his case was adjourned twice in one week because of delays in granting legal aid.
Mr Holloway says that the charges were brought when he attempted to retrieve £10 from a friend by going to his house.
The police were called and he found himself in the cells.
He said he had never been in trouble with the police before and it was a very stressful time for him. He added: "Robbery is a charge you can go to jail for, so it was very stressful.
"And because my name had been made public, I had lost all my customers."
He added: "It had taken me 10 years to build the business up, and I've lost thousands.
"I'm just scraping by on the odd bit of work I can pick up occasionally.
"I have also got three children, and they have been bullied at school because of what's gone on."
