A WARRINGTON man accused of raping a woman in a park in London has been cleared of wrongdoing.

Wesley Roden, of Museum Street in Warrington town centre, stood trial at Southwark Crown Court in February last year on a charge of rape, having pleaded not guilty.

A jury failed to reach a verdict in the case on February 14, with the Crown Prosecution confirming that a retrial would be sought.

This was due to start on Monday, with the case of the 34-year-old, who turns 35 tomorrow, Saturday, listed before the court.

However, it has been confirmed that during the hearing, the CPS offered no evidence against the defendant and he was subsequently found not guilty and acquitted.

The CPS has been approached for a statement on why no evidence was offered, despite a retrial being initially sought, and why it has taken 16 months for this decision to be made.

During the trial, the London court heard how the complainant was ’10-out-of-10 drunk’ after a night out in London’s West End on August 16, 2019, and she had also consumed cannabis, cocaine and ketamine.

She had become separated from her friends after they were refused entry to a nightclub and the complainant ended up in Victoria Embankment Gardens with a mystery male.

CCTV footage caught her leaving the nightclub at around 2.40am with the man, who during the trial was still being hunted by police.

The student gave a video-recorded statement to police after she and a ‘good Samaritan’, who had gone to her help, waved down officers.

In the recording, which was played in court, she had described being raped by the first man and then claimed that another man, alleged to have been Roden, came over and asked: “Can I have a go?”

The victim alleged that the first man replied that the request was ‘a bit weird’, but then said: “Once I leave, you can do what you want with her.”

Prosecutor Ben Temple had told the jury that Roden, when questioned by police, told suggested to officers that the complainant ‘was an enthusiastic partner who instigated sexual activity’.

Following the hung jury in February last year, Recorder Tom Forster said: “I don’t have any option but to discharge the jury in this case.

“You have all done your best and you should be proud of yourselves. Thank you for your time, energy and concentration.”