The Blackroom
About a year ago, Miranda McCloud plucked up the courage to speak out. She was the first of many women to publicly accuse Richard Darlington, the owner of The Darlington, of sexual assault. More women, mostly former hotel employees, followed suit and filed charges against the hotelier.
Attempts at intimidation and out-of-court settlements led some women to withdraw their accusations and state that they no longer wished to pursue criminal charges against Darlington.
The public prosecutor’s office and the Crown Prosecution Service subsequently dropped their investigations in these cases.
However, alongside Miranda McCloud, both Chloe Lawrence and Amiyah Marsh stood by their allegations.
Following months of investigations and evidence-gathering, Richard Darlington will stand trial next week for the sexual abuse of these three women. We will, of course, be reporting on the case.