A council leader who was today found not guilty of making a false statement in his nomination papers has said the case should never have gone to court as he criticised the Crown Prosecution Service.
Russell Bowden, 53, the Labour leader of Warrington Borough Council, listed his home address as a property in Applecross Close, Birchwood, ahead of the 2021 local elections, a trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard. The jury was told he had been living in a flat in Bewsey, in another council ward, since 2019.
Mr Bowden claimed he had moved out of the Birchwood home temporarily due to problems in his marriage and had always planned to return. On Tuesday, a jury found him not guilty after an hour and 45 minutes of deliberations.
