Gloucestershire assault-accused councillor Nick Housden not guilty

A jury concluded that Conservative councillor Nick Housden is not guilty

A councillor accused of assaulting his business partner has been found not guilty.

Councillor Nick Housden, 33, of Stroud District and Gloucestershire County Council, was accused of attacking Gerry McGinty at his party office in 2022.

Mr Housden had denied an actual bodily harm (ABH) charge.

During the trial, Cirencester Crown Court was told by Mr Housden's defence team that it was Mr McGinty who laid in the "first punches".

Mr McGinty - who suffered a 1.5ins (4cms) long injury - said in his evidence that Mr Housden had acted after he was effectively "sacked" from the Bridge Football Academy business they ran together with another man, after working relationships broke down.

But the councillor said the injury happened when he was defending himself during the heated confrontation.

After just over two hours of deliberations the jury found Mr Housden not guilty.

In May, Mr Housden stepped back from his role as cabinet member of public health in Gloucestershire.