Former Spandau Ballet singer jailed for 14 years for multiple rapes and sexual assaults

Musician Ross Davidson, a former singer for Spandau Ballet, has been jailed for 14 years for multiple rapes and sexual assaults.Davidson, 38, was convicted across two trials of two counts of rape, an attempted rape, three sexual assaults and two charges of voyeurism, in offences committed against six women between August 2013 and December 2019.The singer, who used the stage name Ross William Wild, had starred in the West End musical We Will Rock You. He also performed in 2018 as the lead singer for Spandau Ballet.During his trial, Davidson claimed he had consent from all the women, but he was found guilty on all charges. At Wood Green crown court on Thursday, Judge John Dodd KC said he had an “adventurous attitude to matters sexually” and treated the women, some of whom cared for or loved him, “without respect”.Each of his six victims gave evidence during the trial “vividly and without exaggeration” to state how he had “abused” their trust, the judge said.In his first trial in July 2024, Davidson was convicted of rape, two counts of sexual assault and voyeurism involving offences against four women.At the second trial last January a jury convicted him of raping a woman in London in March 2015, and of the attempted rape and sexual assault of another woman in Thailand in December 2019.During the trial the prosecution said he had filmed himself raping one woman and that some of the sexual assault charges, which were based on videos recovered from his phone, showed “strikingly similar” incidents where he touched sleeping women.Prosecutor Richard Hearnden also said videos were taken when women were “as vulnerable as can be”, as they were in “such a deep sleep that they could not be disturbed”. They found out about the sexual assaults when the police told them.Five of the women attended his sentencing hearing, including three who sat quietly in the court as the sentence was handed down. The women encouraged others who have experienced sexual violence to speak out and report similar incidents.“Seeing Ross accountable is an important moment for me, and I hope it encourages others who have experienced something similar to feel able to speak up and seek support,” one said.Another added: “Speaking out about sexual violence is not easy. It can feel overwhelming, frightening and at times isolating. However, I hope that by coming forward I have shown that it is possible to be heard and that what happened matters.“I would encourage anyone who has experienced sexual violence to know that they are not alone, and that support is available.”Davidson was born in Aberdeen and lived in Finchley, London. Defence counsel Charlotte Newell KC said there was a period where he suffered “crippling effects” of undiagnosed ADHD and was “self-medicating” with drugs and alcohol which were “readily available” to him as a result of his life as a musician.She also claimed that he has since shown remorse and that his conditions are improving as a result of having a stable routine in prison, receiving medication and having a supportive family. Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html