A 32-YEAR-OLD man has been cleared of rape following a trial in the Royal Court.
Ruben De Freitas always denied the charge and a separate count of failing to provide the police with the PIN number for his mobile phone, and was unanimously found not guilty by jurors yesterday.
The woman claimed that Mr De Freitas raped her when he failed to stop when asked during what was initially consensual sex.
During the three-day trial, Crown Advocate Mike Preston, prosecuting, argued that the woman’s evidence had been “consistent and credible”.
However Advocate Stephen Wauchope, defending, said: “There is no forensic evidence that Mr De Freitas was ever in her bedroom or that sexual intercourse with her happened. There were no hair, skin cells or traces of him in her bedroom whatever.”
Mr De Freitas had left a T-shirt and jumper in the woman’s flat, but the advocate added that the defendant had spilt drinks over himself while there.
He suggested: “That might be why at one stage he needed to change his shirt.”
The Deputy Bailiff, Robert MacRae, was presiding.
