U.S. judge dismisses assault case against British retailer Philip Green: Arcadia

[January 21, 2020]    LONDON (Reuters) - Prosecutors in the United States have dropped a case against British retailer Philip Green that had alleged assault, his Arcadia company said on Monday, citing court documents.

Philip Green attends the TopShop Spring/Summer 2018 show at London Fashion Week in London, Britain, September 17, 2017. REUTERS/Mary Turner/File Photo

Last May Green, 67, was charged with four counts of misdemeanor assault in the United States after an Arizona pilates instructor accused him of repeatedly touching her inappropriately.

The billionaire chairman of Arcadia, which owns Topshop, was accused of spanking the instructor and grabbing her buttocks at the Canyon Ranch resort in Tucson, Arizona in 2016 and 2018, according to the Pima County Attorney's Office.

At the time Green denied the allegations and on Monday Arcadia said the cases have been dropped.

"At the request of the prosecution the cases alleging assault against Sir Philip Green, due to be heard before The Consolidated Court of Arizona in and for The County of Pima on 20th February 2020, were dismissed by the Order of the Honourable Justice Vince Roberts on 17th January 2020," Arcadia said in a statement.

"These matters are now closed," it added.

Last year Green staved off a collapse of his retail group when creditors approved a restructuring plan.

(Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Susan Fenton)

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