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Ched Evans found not guilty of hotel rape after Retrial

Quote:

Ched Evans arrived at Cardiff Crown Court with his fiancee Natasha Massey
Footballer Ched Evans has been found not guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room.
The Chesterfield striker was accused of attacking her at a Premier Inn in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, on 30 May 2011.
Mr Evans, 27, was originally found guilty of rape at Caernarfon Crown Court in 2012, but this conviction was quashed in April.
He was found not guilty of the same charge at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday.
In a statement read out on Mr Evans's behalf after the verdict, the footballer said: "In the early hours of 30 May 2011, an incident occurred in north Wales that was to change my life and the lives of others forever. That incident did not involve the commission of a criminal offence and today I am overwhelmed with relief that the jury agreed.
"I would like to thank my legal team... for their tireless efforts upon my behalf.
"Thanks go, too, to my friends and family; most notably my fiancee, Natasha, who chose, perhaps incredibly, to support me in my darkest hour.
"Whilst my innocence has now been established, I wish to make it clear that I wholeheartedly apologise to anyone who might have been affected by the events of the night in question."
A jury of seven women and five men took just two hours to clear him following a two-week trial.
There were gasps and cries in the public gallery when the verdict was read out, with members of Mr Evans's group breaking down.
Mr Evans was then discharged from the dock and embraced Miss Massey.
Ched Evans outside the court
He always denied having sex with the woman while she was too drunk to consent.
He insisted she agreed to let him "join in" while she was having consensual sex with fellow footballer Clayton McDonald, 27 - who was cleared of rape at the original trial - after a night out in Rhyl.
His legal team argued the prosecution was "built around the myth" the complainant was too drunk to agree to sex.
The prosecution alleged the woman did "not have the freedom or capacity to consent".
They said Mr Evans treated her with a "callous, self-centred indifference essentially indistinguishable from utter contempt".
However, the jury cleared Mr Evans of the single charge after retiring to deliberate at about 11:40 GMT on Friday.
Mr Evans was jailed for five years after his original conviction in 2012 before he was released in October 2014.

His conviction was referred to the Court of Appeal following a 10-month investigation by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which found new information not raised at his original trial.
Mr Evans - who was playing for Sheffield United at the time of his conviction - came close to joining League One side Oldham Athletic in January 2015.
However the club pulled out of the deal following threats to their staff and pressure from sponsors.
He also had an offer to use the Blades' training facilities rescinded in November 2014 after more than 170,000 people signed a petition against the move.
Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill asked for her name to be removed from a stand at Bramall Lane if he re-signed for the South Yorkshire side and three club patrons resigned.
He signed for Chesterfield in June after his successful conviction appeal.
The Football Association of Wales said it would not comment on the verdict.

BBC

A messy situation. She'll be classed as a liar even if she's telling the truth and he'll likely never work again in football even if he is innocent.

Just goes to show that these investigations need to be handled better.

For me this is such a sad situation because I honestly don't know who to believe :(

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Originally Posted by Amy Jade (Post 9012873)

For me this is such a sad situation because I honestly don't know who to believe :(

Ched said he did wrong
but was that rape?
or was the the 19 year old women
making cash?

This is so NOT surprising.

feel so sorry for him, as if someone that hot would need to force himself on anyone. the orginal jury needs to be trialed for stupidity.

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Originally Posted by Dezzy (Post 9012867)

I think he's playing in League One st the moment? (The third tier - was in the second but still)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaun (Post 9012895)

I think he's playing in League One st the moment? (The third tier - was in the second but still)

Oh. didn't know that. I thought he was pretty much persona non grata with most football clubs after he had been released from Prison and I assumed that would carry on.

Good, he shouldn't have been found guilty based on the 'evidence' in the first place imo, the whole thing struck me as a woman who felt guilt the next day after doing something she felt she shouldn't have.

Well done his gf for sticking by him

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet (Post 9012922)

Well done his gf for sticking by him

More fool her standing by a cheater if nothing else

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Originally Posted by Niamh. (Post 9012941)

More fool her standing by a cheater if nothing else

Pretty much

Regardless of whether he's truly guilty or not, he's a cheater

He plays for Chesterfield

Pleased for him and I hope he now gets treated as an innocent man by all those who laboured to prevent him from reentering his profession after his release from jail. Staff members at Oldham received vile abuse when they wanted to sign him a year or so ago and Jessica Ennis made a huge point of demanding that her name be removed from a stand at Sheffield United were they to resign him. Expect those who were the loudest in condemning him will now be silent in acknowledging his innocence though

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Originally Posted by Liam- (Post 9012920)

this x0i213121

Waiting for the Jessica Ennis apology :idc:

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Originally Posted by MTVN (Post 9013086)

:clap1:

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Originally Posted by MTVN (Post 9013086)

:clap1::clap1::clap1:

He should get compensation for time in jail and missing out on career opportunities and apologies from all around.Poor guy.

Feel a bit sorry for Sheffield United in this as well. They were on course for promotion from League 1 and after all this get pipped to the automatics by none other than their city rivals. Sheffield United still haven't been able to get out of that league in all this time.

Morning after guilt ruining a guys career and life really.

It never really sat right with me how she was apparently too out of it to consent, but did actually consent and only tried to get one of the blokes done for rape.

even before ched went to jail, the police and court system made a complete cock-up from day one, because they where obsessed with having a PR style case, and thats why it was brought to are kangaroo style legal system, the current rape trials and investigations, should not be trusted by any innocent man in the country, for a number of reason's, their is no longer any balance in the investigations or the trial itself, and there is a current push for the rape laws to jail innocent men out of suspicion, if you put mccarthyism in the rape laws, then that can backfire badly.

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Originally Posted by Vicky. (Post 9013222)

No, I'm sure she tried to get both of them but the other guy was found innocent first time round, as far as I remember anyway

I'm pleased to see that his lawyers are going after compensation for his imprisonment and for the years he has missed spanning the prime of his career.

I always thought this case was unsafe.

I'm waiting now to hear from Jessica Ennis. She told the press two years ago that if he was allowed to return to Sheffield United after his release from prison - after he had served his time even if he HAD been guilty - that she wanted her name removed from the stand. She claimed that he was a bad role model for young people. So.... Jessica... your own sport is second only to cycling for being riddled with drugs and cheating. Anything to say about that affecting people's ability to be role models, or was it just Ched Evans you wanted made an example of?