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 timelimit had elapsed, making the corruption charge non-punishable.
Mr Mills said last night: "I am very relieved that this sagahas finally now come to an end and happy to be able to get back to anormal life again. I am grateful beyond words to my family and friendswho knew I was innocent and have supported me all the way through."
Mr Berlusconi"s office did not make any official comment butsources close to him said he was "satisfied" with the court"s decision.
It means Mr Mills is not guilty of accepting the money becausethe supreme court judges ruled that he received it in 1999, and not2000 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 "damagingits reputation."
The ruling makes it likely that Mr Berlusconi"s trial on thesame charge, which had been suspended until tomorrow, will also betimed 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 fouryears ago, as news of the charges against him and her close involvementin his finances emerged.
Some observers claimed it was a ploy to distance herself fromhis problems and her involvement, despite her insistence the separationwas unconnected.
Miss Jowell had signed documents for a huge loan taken out ontheir 1million home in North London - allegedly repaid shortly afterwith the bribe money.
However, she maintained she was unaware of the payment MrMills received from Mr Berlusconi, 73. A Cabinet inquiry later clearedher of wrongdoing.
Meanwhile rumours continue about the relationship between Miss Jowell and Mr Mills.
The couple sold their marital home in North London and declaredthat Mills would live in rural Warwickshire, while Miss Jowell wouldlive in Highgate, North London.
But Mills helped his supposedly estranged wife move into hernew flat, and stayed the night. There have been numerous sightings ofthe pair together socially since.
Last year a friend revealed Miss Jowell still loves herhusband "very much", spending most weekends with him and even hostingdinners for Cabinet ministers and senior Labour figures with him.
Mr Mills did not attend any of the hearings in Italy and spentthe day yesterday at his home in Warwickshire keeping in constanttelephone 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 beenproved but thanks to the usual escapology, justice has elapsed becauseof time.
"In any normal country a prime minister involved in such a case would have resigned."
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