A man has been acquitted of raping a woman at a north-east hotel.
Michael Cockrell had been accused of attacking the woman at hotel in Peterhead on February 27, 2017.
Yesterday, a jury took about an hour to return a not proven verdict following a three-day trial at the High Court in Aberdeen.
Giving evidence on his own behalf Mr Cockrell, of Faithlie Street, Fraserburgh, told the court he had consensual sex with the woman.
He said the first he heard about the accusation was from the complainer’s mother when she confronted him a pub eight months later and slapped him across the face.
But during closing speeches, advocate depute Lindsey Dalziel, prosecuting, urged the jury to convict Mr Cockrell and said the woman had “made herself clear” that she was not in the mood.
But Mr Cockrell’s counsel, advocate David Moggach, encouraged the jury to “challenge” the evidence, and suggested the complainer’s account had been “contradictory”.
Jury return not proven verdict on Aberdeen rape trial
