Charge dropped in mannequin candidate case

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ABERDEEN, Scotland, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Charges were dropped Thursday against a Scottish retiree who registered Helena Torry, a mannequin, as a candidate for local office in Aberdeen.

The sheriff hearing the case agreed with Renee Slater's lawyer that the Representation of People Act, the law she was charged under, only applies to candidates for the British Parliament or for local office in England and Wales, The Scotsman reported. Helena Torry was a Conservative candidate for the Aberdeen council.

Slater, a former Labor Party council member, said she was trying to bring a "bit of humor and fun" to the election when she registered Helena Torry as a candidate last March listing herself as the candidate's agent. The mannequin was present in court for much of the trial, bringing laughs from the gallery when she was wheeled out and positioned next to the witness box.

The name appears to be a play on Helen of Troy and on Tory, the Conservative Party's nickname.

"I just want to thank the people who helped out, the friends of Helena Torry who raised the funds for it. I couldn't get legal aid," Slater said after the charge was dropped. "She ended up with a personality, and certainly has more charisma than some politicians. It has been really stressful. It has been worrying but it has been very interesting. I think we will have a party."