During the proceedings both yesterday and today we, the jurors, were dismissed from court a couple of times so that matters of law could be discussed outside of our hearing. This afternoon the same thing happened and when we returned after about ten minutes or so the judge informed us that because of the lack of solid evidence and the inconsistency of the woman’s account he was going to direct the jury to return a verdict of not guilty. A foreman was appointed for we hadn’t reached that decision between ourselves yet and he announced a not guilty verdict in response to the clerk of the court‘s statements. As a jury we had been discussing the case each time we were returned to our deliberation room so we had pretty much decided the same result. We informed the judge of that fact when he subsequently closed the case. This woman weighed in at 17 and a half stone and there was no way a mere strap of a lad who was skinny anyway, would have been able to force her into submission whether she was drunk or not. In fact she had consumed over a bottle of vodka and a couple of lagers during the day. She had been staying at the home of a friend and went out to buy some fish and chips in a local shop (they had already eaten anyway) but according to her she was lured into some local woods (some 200 yards in the opposite direction) and was assaulted but they found her shoes in another wood some distance away. The chain of events she gave just didn’t make sense to us or the judge. We think she got so drunk and incapable that she found herself indulging in some sexual activity with the lad and his mates and it turned out that the evidence pointed to the fact that she had masturbated the lad and that is what linked her DNA to his. There was no supportive evidence of her vagina having been penetrated and no sperm was found to suggest that intercourse had taken place. There was other evidence too much to repeat here but at the end of the day I would think she now faces possible charges of molesting a minor and indulging in sexual activity with a minor. I wouldn’t like to be in her boots if that is what happens. I have been released from duty for tomorrow but return on Monday ready for another case should they need me.

Shirley Anne