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No charges against widow of a former senior Leicestershire police officer who committed suicide

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Prosecutors have dropped criminal charges against the widow of a former senior Leicestershire police officer who committed suicide last year.

Teresa Fraser was due to stand trial alongside her husband, former assistant chief constable Gordon Fraser, for allegedly conspiring together to help him dodge a speeding penalty.

However, the Crown Prosecution Service has announced it will not proceed with the case in light of Mr Fraser's death.

Mr Fraser was accused of perverting the course of justice by telling police his wife had been driving at the time of the speeding offence. Mrs Fraser, a detective with West Midlands Police, was charged because she had allegedly made a statement in which she said she had been driving.

Mr Fraser killed himself by stepping in front of a train in October last year, a day before the couple were due to appear in court.

A spokeswoman for the Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service said it was not in the public interest to prosecute Mrs Fraser.

"Mrs Fraser was left with sole responsibility of their three young children as a result," the spokeswoman said.

"In coming to the decision not to prosecute, consideration was given to the welfare of Mrs Fraser and her young family in these very difficult circumstances."

The decision was reached last month, but a court ruling meant it could only be made public at the conclusion of the high-profile Vicky Pryce trial.

Pryce was this week found guilty of perverting the course of justice for committing effectively the same offence for which Mrs Fraser had been charged.

A jury found Ms Pryce and her former husband, ex-Government minister Chris Huhne, plotted to help him evade a speeding fine.

Huhne, a Liberal Democrat, admitted the same offence a month ago.

Mr Fraser was appointed as Leicestershire's assistant chief constable in June, 2009, and was later promoted to the rank of acting deputy chief – the second most senior role in the force.

However, in December, 2010, he was suspended from his £100,000-a-year post on full pay and placed under investigation for alleged fraud and gross misconduct.

That inquiry, which is continuing under the supervision of Merseyside Police, was into his alleged role in an overseas property business whose investors reportedly lost money.

Mrs Fraser is also a subject of the investigation and is also currently suspended by her force. Merseyside Police was appointed to carry out the inquiry into the allegations as it had no connections to the Frasers, or anyone else under investigation.

Councillor David Bill, a long-serving member of the now-disbanded Leicestershire Police Authority, said: "This whole case has been a tragedy."

After he was suspended and the property deals inquiry was under way, Mr Fraser spoke to the Mercury to protest his innocence.

He said: "All I want to do is get back to my job of protecting the public. It's what I was brought up to do.

"I'm desperate to help the investigation and I am convinced my name is going to be cleared."

No charges against widow of a former senior Leicestershire police  officer who committed suicide


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