Ross Davidson, the former frontman of Spandau Ballet, was revealed to have been smirking as the police arrested him for a series of sexual offences that took place over six years
A former singer for Spandau Ballet was caught smirking as police arrested him for rape in disturbing bodycam footage shown during the court proceedings.
Ross Davidson, 38, who performed under the stage name Ross Wild, has now been jailed for 14 years after being convicted of a series of sexual offences against six women. The performer previously appeared in the West End production of We Will Rock You and briefly fronted the famous 80s band in 2018.
Footage played in court captured the moment officers confronted Davidson, who appeared to smirk as he was taken into custody. On another occasion, police found him naked at his home when investigating the allegations.
After two trials, juries found Davidson guilty of two counts of rape, attempted rape, three counts of sexual assault and two counts of voyeurism. The offences took place between August 2013 and December 2019. Judge John Dodd KC sentenced the disgraced performer at Wood Green Crown Court, telling him his behaviour as a rising music star was disgraceful.
The judge said: “For a period of six years between 2013 to 2019 and at a time when your stage and musical career was fast developing, and you were seen by many as a charismatic artist, you were also behaving to women in a wholly disgraceful manner.”
He added that Davidson had shown an “adventurous attitude to matters sexually” and treated women who cared about him “without respect”.
Prosecutors told the court that Davidson expected to be able to have sex whenever he wanted. Richard Hearnden, from the prosecution, said: “It is because Ross Davidson expects to get sex on demand that he will resort to rape and sexual assault if he is not given what he thinks he deserves”.
Investigators discovered several videos on Davidson’s phone that became key pieces of evidence in the case. One showed him filming himself raping a woman, while others depicted him touching women while they were asleep.
Mr Hearnden told the court that the footage captured women when they were “as vulnerable as can be” because they were in “such a deep sleep that they could not be disturbed”.
Five of the victims attended the sentencing hearing. During the proceedings, Davidson sat in the dock reading a book while victim impact statements describing the trauma they experienced were read aloud.
One victim described the long-term impact of the attack, telling the court: “Since the rape, my life has been permanently changed. I no longer feel safe or able to trust the world as I once did.”
Another woman recalled the moment she discovered she had been secretly filmed while asleep. “My heart sank. I was distraught. I felt violated and betrayed by someone I trusted,” she said.
The offences came to light after police began investigating Davidson’s behaviour, and several women later came forward with similar accounts.
Following the sentencing, Shikha Verma, senior crown prosecutor at CPS London, described the singer as “a predatory sex offender who targeted multiple victims over a number of years”.
She added: “I want to pay tribute to the victims for their immense courage in supporting the prosecution and Davidson has now been held accountable for his horrific crimes.”
Detective Constable Kamila Kedadrova also praised the women who came forward, saying their support throughout the lengthy investigation had been crucial in securing the conviction.
If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
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