Bristol student cleared of sexual assault

The former Bristol university student accused of sexually assaulting a woman he met on a night out has been cleared by the courts.

He said the legal process has “ripped his life apart”.

The ex-Bristol student was accused of assault by penetration – something he had denied throughout, claiming the encounter was consensual.

The complainant, who lived in Clifton at the time, said the man told her she had to perform oral sex on him and became “quite rough”, grabbing her by the arms and throat.

Last week our survey found that over 75 per cent of students think people accused of rape should be anonymous. Therefore we will not be revealing the identity of the student.

The jury were shown photos of bruises on the woman’s chest which were allegedly caused during the assault however two doctors agreed that the bruises were “typical” of a mark left by a love bite.

The doctors said the bruises did not seem to have resulted from being gripped by a hand.

He told The Bristol Post: “The police and the CPS have been inept in the way that they have handled this investigation, to both the complainant’s detriment and mine.

“Judge after judge has asked them to review the case, as more undermining material has appeared. Nobody has stood back and got a grip.”

He added: “This is a case that was heavily flawed from the outset and should never have been able to reach trial. I cannot comprehend the waste of public money and resources that must have been channelled into pursuing this absurd allegation.

“This has absolutely ripped my life apart, and I am grateful now to the jury who have seen this situation for what it is and the recovery process can now begin.”