Rape accused found not guilty of stealing from prostitute

A Waterford businessman has been found not guilty of stealing €1,200 cash from a Croatian prostitute he is alleged to have raped in a local upmarket hotel in 2006.

The jury at the Central Criminal Court has been sent to a hotel overnight having failed to return a verdict yet on the rape charge following almost five hours deliberation.

Mr Justice Barry White has asked the six men and six women to return to court in the morning to resume deliberation of the rape charge. Earlier the judge told the jury it could return a majority verdict of either 11-1 or 10-2 if a unanimous verdict wasn’t possible.

The 46 year-old man has pleaded not guilty to raping the woman on May 21, 2006 and had also denied stealing €1,200 cash from her after hiring her by phone from the Cork-based Red Velvets Escort Agency. It was day-five of the trial.