NI man (35) is acquitted of raping teenager in Spain in 2012

A 35 year-old Northern Ireland man has been found unanimously not guilty of raping a 17 year-old student in the bedroom of a hotel in Spain more than five years ago.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Nov 2019, 16:27 BST
The Spanish resort town of Torremolinos. (Google Street View)The Spanish resort town of Torremolinos. (Google Street View)
The Spanish resort town of Torremolinos. (Google Street View)

The incident was alleged to have occurred in Spanish resort town of Torremolinos on August 11, 2014.

Following just 28 minutes of deliberations, the jury of seven men and five woman, after a six day trial at Londonderry Crown Court, acquitted the defendant, Michael Cregan from Ferguson Street in Londonderry, of a single charge of rape.

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It was the first case of its kind to be held in Northern Ireland involving a UK resident going on trial for an offence which allegedly occurred outside the UK.

The complainant alleged that the defendant had raped her as she slept, following a day's drinking, in the bedroom which they shared with two other adults.

The defendant told the jury that he twice had consensual sexual intercourse with the complainant on the night she claimed he had raped her.

Following the unanimous not guilty verdict, the trial judge, Judge Philip Babington, told the defendant he was free to go.

Members of the complainant's family were visibly upset when the jury forewoman announced the not guilty verdict.