Man not guilty of rape after 'inconsistencies' in woman's evidence

A Central Criminal Court judge has ordered a jury to find a Mayo man not guilty of rape because he believes the alleged victim was not being truthful in her evidence.

Mr Justice Barry White said he was “reluctantly driven to the conclusion that there were many, many inconsistencies” in the woman’s evidence.

“These are so great that any reasonable tribunal would conclude that the witness is not being truthful.”

In directing them to find the accused not guilty, he told the jury, that the woman had a miserable life and was seriously ill.

“It is with much regret that I have taken the action I have taken,” he added.

The accused man had pleaded not guilty to raping the woman at an address in Co Mayo on November 6, 2005.

Mr Justice White listed several inconsistencies in the woman’s testimony. The woman told the court that she had not being drinking the weekend in question yet there were notes from her care workers stating that she had being drinking heavily.

She had refused to be medically examined following the alleged rape. She initially claimed this was because she did not want gossip about her in her community but later said it was because she had taken a bath since the alleged incident.

Mr Justice White thanked the jurors for their time and told the man he was free to go.