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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Tristan Kirk

Real Housewife of Cheshire Dawn Ward found not guilty of racist train station tirade

Dawn Ward at Westminster Magistrates’ Court

(Picture: PA)

Reality TV star Dawn Ward broke down in tears as she was cleared by a jury of racially abusing two Jewish brothers at Euston station.

The Real Housewives of Cheshire star, 48, was accused of using anti-Semitic slurs against Jake and Sam Jacobs at the packed train station in October 2019.

She told Inner London crown court that the allegations were untrue, suggesting instead that she had been on the receiving end of abuse for her “Botox face”.

After a two-week trial, a jury found Mrs Ward not guilty of two counts of racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm, or distress as well as an allegation of cocaine possession.

The reality TV star, who is reportedly now filming a new show in Dubai, wept as the not guilty verdicts were delivered on Friday.

The verdicts bring to an end a two-and-a-half year saga, which began on October 29, 2019 when Mrs Ward was arrested and held overnight in a police cell.

Jake Jacobs, a property developer, claimed he had been abused by the mother-of-four while he was enquiring about delayed trains.

He claimed she called him a “Jewish c***” and suggested she said to the brothers: “Why are you lot always complaining?”

But Mrs Ward, the wife of former Premier League footballer Ashley Ward, told the court she had no idea the brothers were Jewish and had not been abusive.

She also denied drug possession after a wrap of cocaine was discovered in her handbag after she was arrested, inside an empty cigarette packet.

Mrs Ward blamed the incident on a housekeeper putting the cigarettes into her bag before she made the trip to London, and said she did not know about the drugs.

She had spent the afternoon drinking wine with her agent at the Ritz, but said she was “giddy” rather than angry when she arrived at the train station to return home to her £15 million Cheshire mansion.

The bitterly contested trial including efforts by Mrs Ward’s legal team to introduce evidence from Mr Jacobs’ social media account, including abusive messages sent to Coronation Street actress Kym Marsh.

In return, prosecutors raised a past allegation made against Mrs Ward by one of her Real Housewives of Cheshire co-stars, as well as her conviction for assaulting singer Sinitta in a restaurant spat.

Ward denied and was acquitted of two counts of racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm, or distress and possession of a class A drug.

Her husband sat alongside her in court throughout the trial.

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