Fireman cleared of attack

Ms Ives has no memory of her attack

A fireman has been cleared of the attempted murder of a prostitute who was beaten up and dumped in a skip.

Barrie Jackson, 29, of East Mount Avenue, Hull, was found not guilty of the attack on 64-year-old Carol Ives on 10 November last year.

But following his acquittal, Jackson was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to a separate attack three weeks earlier, in which he punched a woman in the face during a drunken row.

The jury was not told of the attack during Jackson's trial at Hull Crown Court.

Internal investigation

A spokesman for Humberside Fire Service said Jackson remained suspended from his job without pay and would now be the subject of a further internal investigation.

He added: "I must stress this one individual does not portray the professionalism that is not only expected of our employees, but shown on a daily basis by members of the fire service."

During the nine-day trial the court was told that Ms Ives, of Walker Street, was lucky to have survived and could remember nothing of her attack.

The jury heard she was so badly beaten that a man who found her, while foraging for scrap, did not know if she was a man or a woman.

Following Jackson's acquittal, Detective Superintendent Paul Davidson said: "I'm very disappointed. However, I do respect the decision of the jury."

Jackson is expected to be released early next year after spending the past eight months in prison on remand.