Moray man cleared of raping two teenagers
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A Moray man has been cleared today of raping teenage girls.
The man, who comes from Elgin and is now aged 21, was alleged to have raped a 15-year-old girl at a property in Forres back in September 2016.
He was also accused of attacking an 18-year-old girl in Elgin's Cooper Park on July 27, 2018.
A jury at the High Court in Glasgow today cleared him of both charges after a trial.
The jury found him not guilty of raping the 15-year-old and they decided the charge of raping the 18-year-old was not proven.
The man denied both allegations and claimed that any sexual interactions with the girls were consensual.
It was claimed he had raped the 15-year-old girl on a sofa bed when he was 16.
Asked in court by his lawyer Edith Forrest whether he had raped the girl, he replied: "No."
He was later accused of raping the 18-year-old girl in the bushes near the tennis courts in Cooper Park.
The two had met at a nearby pub and decided to walk home together.
He claimed they had stopped having consensual sexual contact after he looked at his phone and came to the conclusion his mum would lock the house door as it was late.
He then claimed the pair hugged and kissed before going their separate ways.
In court he stated: "We were both calm and happy and generally okay.
"I then found my mum had locked the door when I got back so I went to my friend's house and stayed with him."
The defendant was told by judge Graham Buchanan: "In light of the jury's verdict you are free to leave the court."
