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Man accused of raping woman in Peatlands Park cleared by jury

A Co Armagh man accused of rape and repeated sexual assault of a woman in Peatlands Park last year has been cleared of all charges.

James Wright, 24, of Derrylea Road, who was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial, was cleared at Dungannon Crown Court on Tuesday.

He had faced six charges arising from the incident which occurred on April 27, 2016 as the victim walked in the park, near Dungannon.

They included three counts each of rape and sexual assault.

The jury in the case were asked to return findings of ‘committed’ or ‘not committed’ as opposed to guilty or not guilty as he was deemed mentally unfit.

The court heard how the victim had asked her attacker if he was following her after she kept spotting him at different points during her walk.

She was then grabbed and wrestled to the ground, where the attacker took off her clothes. A number of serious sexual assaults then took took place.

The terrified woman remained compliant against the stronger man for fear he had a weapon.

Wright was later arrested at his home nearby.

The jury cleared Wright of all charges by a majority “not committed” decision.

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