Robot 6
Artist Ron Smith cleared of sexual assault charges
Judge Dredd, by Ron Smith
Former 2000AD and Judge Dredd artist Ron Smith today was found not guilty of repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl in the 1980s.
Smith, 80, had been charged with five counts of rape, two counts of buggery and two counts of indecent assault. A 39-year-old woman in February accused him of raping her over a three-year period beginning when she was 13 years old.
Smith testified in his own defense on Thursday, saying, “I never touched her in any way or at any point.”
“I certainly never had sex with her and I did not rape her,” he told the court. “I did not even go near her, it just did not happen.”
Smith, whose comics career began in 1949 with Deed-a-day Danny, was a prolific Judge Dredd artist in the early to mid-’80s, and produced the daily comic strip for The Star.
- June 12, 2009 @ 09:34 AM by Kevin Melrose
2 Comments
Sue Carr
June 13, 2009 at 2:00 pm
As Ron Smith’s daughter I would just like to say how relieved we all are that my father’s innocence has been proved and that his name has been cleared. It has been a very, very difficult time for him and his been a great comfort for him to learn that his many fans have been behind him in this simply dreadful matter.
Sue Carr (nee Smith)
John Freeman
July 31, 2009 at 7:51 am
I think it’s outrageous that The Sun has failed to amend its news story on this trial. The link alone perpetuates the false accusations made against Ron and I’m urging everyone to write to the paper demanding they amend or remove the story: http://downthetubescomics.blogspot.com/2009/07/sun-still-besmirching-ron-smith.html