Acquitted police officer denies steroid charge

Yesterday, Pc Mark Carter pleaded not guilty at Leeds Crown Court to a charge of possessing 277 tablets of a class C controlled drug Stanozolol on December 19, 2009.

The 28-year-old officer from Birkenshaw, Bradford, wept when he was found not guilty by a jury at the same court last week on two sexual assault charges alleged to have taken place while on a Christmas night out in Leeds with colleagues the previous evening, December 18.

He was also acquitted on two charges of raping another man afterwards at a hotel in the early hours.

The jury failed to reach a verdict on another sexual assault charge also alleged to have happened on the same night out, but the prosecution was given a week to consider whether there should be a retrial.

Sarah Wright, prosecuting, yesterday told the court a decision had now been made to offer no further evidence on that charge and the officer was formally found not guilty.

A trial date on the drugs allegation was fixed for December 1.

The court was told the defence will argue it is not illegal to have the drug if it is in a medicinal product.

Unconditional bail was extended until his trial.

Pc Carter was crowned Mr Gay UK in Blackpool in 2006.