THE jury in the trial of a retired cleric accused of sexual assault has been discharged after failing to reach a verdict.
Roy Catchpole, 69, formerly of St Paul's Church in Sherborne, was on trial at Bournemouth Crown Court for a series of incidents said to have taken place between August 2013 and June 2014.
The jury was discharged at 3.30pm today. No decision has been made on when a retrial might take place.
The court was told Catchpole, now of Milborne Port in Somerset, is accused of touching a pensioner inappropriately on a number of occasions on visits to her home.
He is also alleged to have exposed himself to the same woman.
Catchpole, a former trustee of the Sherborne Food Bank, denies three charges of sexual assault and one of exposure.
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