Judge says court deprived of hearing evidence of Irish woman’s brother

The Long Island judge who yesterday acquitted Jason Lee of raping an Irish J1 student in the summer of 2013 said the court was “deprived” of hearing from the brother of the young woman at the centre of the three-week trial.

Judge Barbara Kahn said the prosecution had done all it could do to compel the Irish student to travel over for the trial but he “refused to appear” due to college work.

Finding Mr Lee not guilty on three counts — rape in the first degree, sexual misconduct and assault in the third degree — Judge Kahn said that the prosecution did not meet the “heavy burden of proof” required for a conviction.