Client Not Guilty of Rape and Sexual Assault

Case study summary

Our client was a university student charged with rape and sexual assault in relation to two different women. We worked tirelessly to prepare his defence and, following a four day trial at Leeds Crown Court, he was found not guilty of both counts.

Case study

Our client was a university student who had been charged with rape and sexual assault. The allegations were from two different women he had briefly dated. As a young man of good character, who was adamant he was innocent, he contacted us knowing we had extensive expertise in defending sexual offences.

When we first spoke with our client, he was distressed and closed off. Despite knowing he had not committed these crimes, he was fearful of the opinion of those around him. As a result, he came to us alone and without support. We reassured him that we would not only do all we could to prepare his defence but we would do so while supporting him through the most difficult time in his life.

From the many conferences we had, it was clear that he had engaged in sexual activity with both women. This was not something he denied. However, our client knew that he had always been respectful and would never begin, or continue, with anything a woman was not consenting to.

As part of our preparation, we instructed a specialist barrister who understood the complexities of sexual offences. We worked closely as a team to pick up on inconsistencies and weaknesses in the prosecution case. For example, one complainant had lied about her state of intoxication and we were able to put to the other that she did not immediately cut off contact following the alleged rape. In a case where it was simply one person's word against the other, these small details made a huge difference.

After an intense four day trial at Leeds Crown Court, the jury returned unanimous not guilty verdicts for both of the charges. This allowed our client to leave court that day with his name cleared and finally able to focus on his university studies.