Court frees man who had sex with 12-year-old

A convicted sex offender who plied a 12-year-old girl with drink before having sex with her was today set free after a High Court judge ruled his imprisonment was unlawful.

The 41-year-old man was halfway through a three-year jail term for unlawful carnal knowledge of the child and applied to be released on the grounds that his detention was unconstitutional.