Shaun Draycott and the principle of due process merit our unwavering support. It is beside the point that Ched Evans’ original conduct left much to be desired.

However troubled and well-intentioned the protests, talk of ‘routine’ introduction of a woman’s earlier sexual history and of ‘setting the clock back 30 years’ is unhelpful and plain wrong.

The court, ultimately, found sufficiently striking similarities in this case and in this case alone. No two cases are ever the same and can never justly be shoehorned into a hard and fast formula. No precedent arises; no rapist’s charter is in sight; no ‘knee-jerk’ reaction can be given honourable house room.

Would that all deserving putative appellants languishing usually in custody and often for years might be so fast-tracked to the Criminal Cases Review Commission and then to the Court of Appeal. Now that is certainly a cause for equal concern. No complaint against Ched Evans’ cause intended but that speedy outcome was a case of money talking.

Malcolm Fowler, Dennings, Tipton

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