Cleared of rape

Former Les Quennevais pupil Ben Brée (25) was jailed for five years by Bournemouth Crown Court in November after spending the night with a 19-year-old binge-drinking student who later alleged rape. But his conviction has been overturned by London’s Appeal Court, with one of the most senior judges in the country ruling that a woman cannot claim rape just because she was drunk. Mr Brée’s mother Norma told the JEP today that the quashing of the conviction was an enormous relief for the family. ‘The past year has been a complete nightmare for the family, but we have now finally proved Ben’s innocence.’