Ex-'Enders star Coleman cleared of gun charges

Ex-EastEnders actor Des Coleman has been cleared of threatening a driver with an imitation firearm during an alleged road rage incident.

The 45-year-old, who appeared in the BBC soap as DJ Lenny Wallace from 1996 to 1999, was accused by Darren Hunter in May 2010. However, a judge at Huntingdon Crown Court ruled that the story had been manufactured and should never have come to court.

Criticising the prosecution, the judge told Coleman that he had been "completely exonerated", while the court heard that Hunter, who had previous convictions for road-rage incidents, had tried to sell his story to a national newspaper.

Coleman was fired by the BBC from his position as a weatherman for East Midlands Today after he used an appearance to comment on the claims, telling viewers: "You cannot believe everything you see or read."

Speaking after the ruling, he said: "Facing seven years in prison from a story that is completely fabricated from somebody who wanted to extort money from you, I am relieved. I have a smile in my heart and a positive attitude and I will move on."

The father-of-four continued: "I'm annoyed because of the damage this caused. This has put a huge strain on my family. We will get through it. But it'll take a lot longer to build back my reputation. And it's all because some guy made up a story about me."

In a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service said: "The police had been alerted to an allegation that the defendant had pulled a gun on the victims during a road-rage incident.

"The matter was investigated and sufficient evidence was identified at that time to bring charges against Desune Coleman. The matter was kept under review and the police and CPS continued to make exhaustive inquiries regarding the credibility and reliability of the evidence relied upon to substantiate the charge."

It concluded: "Material was identified which undermined the case for the Crown and assisted the defence."

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