It had been alleged that Richard Courtenay had carried out the assaults at his home in The Street, Holywell Row, near Mildenhall between 2000 and 2005.

During a two-day hearing at Ipswich Crown Court members of the jury were told that because Courtenay had been declared unfit to stand trial, they were not being asked to decide if he were guilty or not guilty but if he had done what he was accused of.

The prosecution alleged that two girls, now in their teens but at the time aged about nine, had been befriended by Courtenay who went on to indecently assault them after they were invited to his bedroom to watch videos and see his collection of ornaments.

Courtenay was charged with three indecent assaults and a fourth offence of inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency.

But after watching recordings of evidence from the two girls and submissions from Charles Myatt, appearing on behalf of Courtenay, that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he had committed the offences, he was cleared.

Judge Peter De Mille, who had presided over the hearing, told Courtenay that he was free to leave the court.