REALITY TV star Calum Best has spoken out for the first time since being cleared of sexually assaulting a Brit at Wayne Lineker’s Ibiza beach club in April 2022.
The son of late footballer George Best, 42, announced “the truth prevails” on social media after being told yesterday he had been acquitted after a one-day trial just over a week ago in Majorca.
All three trial judges ruled Spanish state prosecutors had not done enough to convince them Calum had forced his alleged victim to put her hand down his shorts and onto his penis as she claimed in her court testimony.
They pointed to the lack of “external corroboration” of the tourist’s version of events and questioned why a female friend with her at the time and a security guard she said she had sought help from were not called to give evidence.
Calum, who won the 2006 edition of Celebrity Love Island and also starred in two series of Celebrity Big Brother, protested his innocence from the dock.
And in his first comments late yesterday he said the truth had prevailed and thanked fans for their support.
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In an Instagram Live message alongside part of a news report confirming his acquittal, he wrote: “The truth prevails.
“I have been acquitted and won my case. Thank you everyone for all your messages of support.”
He finished the emotional post off with a heart emoticon.
Californian-born Calum, now based in the UK, was arrested late on April 22, 2022, after leaving the O Beach club in the Ibizan party resort of San Antonio.
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He was held in custody for around a day before being released but was told he would continue to be investigated.
Calum was charged after a lengthy behind-closed-doors probe and told to report for trial last Tuesday at the Audiencia Provincial court in the Majorcan capital Palma.
His female accuser gave evidence via a video-link from the UK.
She claimed Calum, the current chairman of Dorking Wanderers FC women’s team, sexually assaulted her after telling her: “I’ve got something for you, close your eyes.”
Referring to the security guard she said she raised the alarm with, the tourist recalled: “He asked if he was one of Wayne Lineker’s friends and when I said ‘yes’ he laughed.
“[He] said this happens all the time and told me he wasn’t going to call [the] police.”
Calum’s defence lawyer, Jaime Campaner, told judges at his trial they should acquit his client after he took the defence stand to protest his innocence and had travelled to Majorca “to clear his name.”
In their acquittal decision, judges highlighted the lack of “external corroboration” of the female tourist’s version of events, confirming the CCTV images available had not backed up her claims.
They said in their six-page written ruling: “There is no other information from external sources of evidence that supports the complainant’s testimony.
“The court finds it relevant that her friend, who was with her in the initial moments of the first contact with the accused and is said to have accompanied her to see a security guard, did not appear at trial.
“The security guard has not been cited as a witness either.
“The friend was identified in the police report and the security guard would have been easily identifiable.
“When evidence is available that could have been used to support a testimony and it is not used in court without justifying the impossibility of doing so, a situation of objective doubt is created.”
They concluded: “In this case, the prosecution’s evidence has not been sufficient to undermine the right to the presumption of innocence.”
Just days after Calum appeared in court, however, his TV firm went bust after owing £85,000 to the taxman.
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Trouble to Triumph Limited has fallen on tough times and Calum has put his company into liquidation – owing HMRC £85,625 and a further £2,500 to other creditors.
The former model also owes his firm £48,971 by way of a director’s loan.
How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
