Soldier cleared of rape charge (From Warrington Guardian)

Soldier cleared of rape charge

9:00am Wednesday 10th October 2012 in News

A RUNCORN soldier has been cleared of rape.

It took a jury a little over an hour to find 21-year-old Jason Holmes not guilty on two counts of rape and sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman.

They returned their verdict at Chester Crown Court on Friday, after a three day trial.

Holmes, of Lockgate East, Windmill Hill, had denied the allegations.

He had admitted having sex with the alleged victim but claimed it had been fully consensual.

The royal engineer was arrested in a car park in Cairo Street in Warrington, in the early hours of Christmas Eve last year.

Holmes is due to serve in Afghanistan this week.

His commander, Captain Catherine Coward, told the court she would have no hesitation taking him if he was cleared.