Tessa Jowell's estranged husband David Mills 'very relieved' after Italian court quashes bribery conviction

By Nick Pisa
Last updated at 2:09 AM on 26th February 2010

Olympics minister Tessa Jowell's estranged husband escaped a jail sentence last night after his conviction for corruption was thrown out on a technicality.

David Mills, 65, had been found guilty of accepting a $600,000 (£393,000) bribe from Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, in return for giving favourable evidence for him in two previous corruption trials.

He was sentenced to four and half years' jail last year and an appeal against the sentence failed last October, but last night the Italian supreme court threw out the charge.

Lawyer David Mills, 65, has had his bribery conviction quashed, meaning Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's similar charges are also likely to be timed out

Judges dismissed the case because they ruled that a ten-year time limit had elapsed, making the corruption charge non-punishable.

Mr Mills said last night: 'I am very relieved that this saga has finally now come to an end and happy to be able to get back to a normal life again. I am grateful beyond words to my family and friends who knew I was innocent and have supported me all the way through.'

Mr Berlusconi's office did not make any official comment but sources close to him said he was 'satisfied' with the court's decision.

It means Mr Mills is not guilty of accepting the money because the supreme court judges ruled that he received it in 1999, and not 2000 as prosecutors had previously argued, so the charge had timed out.

Mr Mills was still ordered to pay 250,000 Euro (£221,000) compensation to the office of the Italian prime minister for 'damaging its reputation.'

The ruling makes it likely that Mr Berlusconi's trial on the same charge, which had been suspended until tomorrow, will also be timed out.

Mr Mills, pictured at his Warwickshire home yesterday, said he was 'relieved' the court case was over

Miss Jowell, 62, announced her separation from Mr Mills four years ago, as news of the charges against him and her close involvement in his finances emerged.

Some observers claimed it was a ploy to distance herself from his problems and her involvement, despite her insistence the separation was unconnected.

Miss Jowell had signed documents for a huge loan taken out on their £1million home in North London - allegedly repaid shortly after with the bribe money.

However, she maintained she was unaware of the payment Mr Mills received from Mr Berlusconi, 73. A Cabinet inquiry later cleared her of wrongdoing.

Meanwhile rumours continue about the relationship between Miss Jowell and Mr Mills.

The couple sold their marital home in North London and declared that Mills would live in rural Warwickshire, while Miss Jowell would live in Highgate, North London.

But Mills helped his supposedly estranged wife move into her new flat, and stayed the night. There have been numerous sightings of the pair together socially since.

Last year a friend revealed Miss Jowell still loves her husband 'very much', spending most weekends with him and even hosting dinners for Cabinet ministers and senior Labour figures with him.

Mr Mills did not attend any of the hearings in Italy and spent the day yesterday at his home in Warwickshire keeping in constant telephone contact with his legal team.

Italian opposition politicians, reacted in fury to the supreme court's decision.

Antonio Di Piero, head of Italy's anti-sleaze Party of Values said: 'This is an embarrassment.

'The crime which Mills and Berlusconi were accused of has been proved but thanks to the usual escapology, justice has elapsed because of time.

'In any normal country a prime minister involved in such a case would have resigned.'

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