Harry Redknapp Not Guilty Of Tax Evasion

Harry Redknapp has welcomed an end to his "nightmare" five years after being found not guilty of all charges in his tax evasion trial.

The Tottenham Hotspur boss was speaking outside Southwark Crown Court after he and co-defendant Milan Mandaric were both cleared following five hours of deliberations.

Having thanked Spurs fans for their support, he said the case had been "hanging over" him and his family for five years and that it "should never have come to court".

Mr Redknapp, 64, and Mr Mandaric, 73, hugged as the verdicts were announced.

Both had denied two counts of cheating the public revenue when Mr Redknapp was manager and Mr Mandaric chairman of Portsmouth Football Club.

The verdict clears the way for Mr Redknapp to become manager of the England team - and he was immediately installed as bookmakers' odds-on favourite to succeed current boss Fabio Capello.

Mr Redknapp and his son Jamie were also seen embracing as they left the courtroom.

Mr Mandaric told reporters outside court: "I've got to go somewhere to try to pinch myself and wake me up from that horrible dream that I had in the past.

"As we said in the statements, I always believed in the truth, and always believed in the British justice system."

England and Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand, who played under Mr Redknapp when the pair were both at West Ham, welcomed the verdict.

"Great to see Harry cleared of any wrong doing over 'tax evasion'. Glad for him + the Redknapp family," he wrote on Twitter.

Chris Martin, of HM Revenue and Customs, said the department had "no regrets" about pursuing the case.

"We accept the verdict of the jury but I would like to remind those who are evading tax by using offshore tax havens that it always makes sense to come forward and talk to us before we come to talk to you," he said.

Jurors accepted Mr Redknapp's denials that he evaded tax on any payments over £189,000 found in a Monaco account.

The pair's acquittal blows the final whistle on a five-year £8m police investigation which failed to yield a single conviction.

Mr Mandaric and former Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie were also cleared of £600,000 tax dodge claims at a previous trial, it can be reported for the first time.

During the trial, Mr Redknapp was at times moved to the verge of tears as the Crown alleged he had told a pack of lies in an attempt to get himself off the hook.