Two men from Gorleston charged with raping a woman they met in an Oxfordshire bar have been acquitted.
Andrew Page, 27, and Jordan Blanche, 26, were facing a single charge of rape, accused of jointly assaulting the same woman in their flat in Bicester on June 24 last year.
The men, self-employed mechanical engineers working for BMW in Oxford, appeared at Oxford Crown Court on Friday.
Prosecutor Edward Lucas explained the case had been adjourned from last year due to a wait for a medical report from the complainant which would provide evidence of ‘her inability to consent’.
However, he told the court: “I have since received that report and I’ve advised those who instruct me that there is no realistic prospect of conviction in this case. So the Crown will be offering no evidence."
Judge Ian Pringle officially entered not guilty verdicts for the men and acquitted them of the charge.
It was heard that their phones, which contained images of the alleged incident, will be returned to them as soon as the images have been deleted by the authorities.
The pair, who both provided addresses in Gorleston, were free to leave the court.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel