Man acquitted on charge of raping wife

A Central Criminal Court jury has today acquitted a man of the rape of his wife but found him guilty of assaulting her at a house in Co Meath more than a year ago.

The 35-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to charges of rape and assault causing harm to the woman on April 12, 2009.

A charge of false imprisonment had been withdrawn by the State.

The jury of six men and six women returned their verdict after almost eight hours of deliberations on day six of the trial.

Mr Justice Liam McKechnie thanked the members of the jury for their attention during the trial and excused them from duty for 10 years before he remanded the man in custody and adjourned sentencing to next month.