Though Harris was not in court for the ruling, he said in a statement: "I have said all along that I did not attend and had never attended the location in Portsmouth as this complainant alleged at my first trial. "I was not believed and she was... I have served a nine-month prison sentence based on her word." He thanked his legal team, led by Stephen Vullo QC, for "finally" proving his innocence of the alleged crime, which he said was backed up by a "fantasist" claiming to be the sole witness. He added: "I hope the press supply the facts to the public to let them decide if I am a monster or the subject of a frenzied witch hunt which focused more on grabbing headlines than finding the truth."