Man found not guilty of rape

A man has been acquitted of raping a woman in a trailer by having sex with her when she was too drunk to consent.

After a five-day trial at the Royal Court, a jury found Neil Chadwick (58) not guilty.

After deliberating for just over four hours, the jury reached a unanimous verdict yesterday.

The woman claimed that Mr Chadwick took her to a caravan and had sex with her when she was too drunk to consent. Giving evidence in court, she told the court that she woke up with bruises and wearing only her bra.

Prosecutor Lauren Hallam argued that the woman was “far more drunk than the defendant” and therefore unable to give her consent.

However, the defendant told the court that she asked him for sex. The court also heard that the pair exchanged friendly messages in the days following that night.

During the trial, defence lawyer Mike Preston read out positive character statements in which Mr Chadwick was described as “friendly” and “very respectful towards women”.

Mr Chadwick also told the court how the trial had affected him, saying he had suffered from anxiety and nightmares during the week.

He also had difficulty hearing some of the questions and understanding some of the documents presented to him in court and became visibly nervous on the witness stand.

Mr Chadwick’s supporters applauded in the courtroom as the jury announced its verdict, but were asked to stop by Commissioner Alan Binnington, who presided over the case.