Real Housewives' Dawn Ward weeps as she is cleared of anti-Semitic abuse charges

25 March 2022, 17:23

The reality star broke down crying in court after being cleared of accusations of anti-Semitic abuse and cocaine possession.

Real Housewives of Cheshire's Dawn Ward broke down in tears as she was cleared of racially abusing two Jewish men and keeping cocaine in a cigarette box.

The interior designer, 48, was accused of shouting abuse at Jake Jacobs and his brother Sam at Euston Station in October 2019.

She was accused of shouting "Jewish c***" before slapping Mr Jacobs in the face, Inner London Crown Court heard.

While Ms Ward admitted she had "too much to drink" with her agent, she claimed the two men were lying and had made the accusations for "publicity."

She claims to have been in a "really good mood" having just completed a five-year job and was set to go on holiday with her family the next day.

The reality TV star is married to former footballer Ashley Ward and lives in a £15m house in Cheshire.

She admitted to "lightly tapping" Mr Jacobs in the face after he had verbally abused her for her appearance.

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In court, Ms Ward sobbed: "I don't see any race, religion, sexuality or anything. I see people as people."

"That's probably why I stuck my nose in. I was giddy. I was in a good place. I promise you I didn't have a clue what religion he was.

"I didn't know he was Jewish for a start. I had no idea whatsoever. He was saying 'botox face' and even then I didn't even feel angry."

After showing how she tapped Mr Jacobs, Ms Ward said that it went from "zero to one hundred".

As the not guilty verdicts were given, she burst into tears and said: "Thank you."

She told reporters outside of court: "I am obviously over the moon, relieved. It has been two years of absolute hell for not only me, for the whole family."

Ms Ward praised her legal team and said that both the judge and jury had been "extremely fair" to her.

She was also allegedly caught with cocaine in a cigarette box in her handbag - a charge she was also cleared from after insisting the drugs were not hers.

Defence barrister Lisa Judge said Ms Ward was handcuffed, arrested unlawfully and "carted off" to a police station.

"She was handcuffed, arrested unlawfully and carted off to Wembley. She made it quite clear she was claustrophobic and terrified of being put in a police cell."

The reality star also claimed her four children have been the target of online abuse as a consequences of the accusations. She said the impact the court proceedings have had on her family has been "absolutely devastating."

"I'm embarrassed. I'm more embarrassed for the children."