The woman at the centre of a high-profile "sleepwalking" sex assault trial has spoken of its devastating impact on her life.

A Carlisle Crown Court jury last week cleared 28-year-old Mark Gibson of the sexual assault allegation, after a brain expert said the evidence supported his claim to have been asleep - and therefore not responsible - at the time of the sexual contact.

Mr Gibson accepted there was such contact - but he always insisted he was not guilty of an offence because he was asleep and oblivious to what he was doing.

He described the last year of his life before and during the trial as "hell".

The jury cleared him unanimously.

Speaking exclusively to the News & Star , the woman - who can not be named for legal reasons - said she too had endured a year of "hell".

"It's still very hard emotionally," she said. "It's been draining.

"It's been a time of non-stop crying, hardly eating, and hardly sleeping.

"I've had support but what's happened has been absolutely devastating. It's had a huge effect on my family.

"The whole thing has been horrendous - absolutely horrendous."

Despite her disappointment with the outcome of the case, the woman said other women should not be deterred from going to the police if they believe they have been sexually assaulted.

She also praised the support she was given before, during, and after the week-long trial.

After the trial was over, Mr Gibson, of Nursery Place, Hensingham, said he had endured a terrible year.

He had been attacked in the street, and became a target for verbal abuse on Facebook.

His friend Tony Horricks, from Whitehaven, who in court to support him, said he was not the type of person to subject any woman to such an assault.

During the trial, neurologist Dr Ian Morrison said that the evidence was entirely compatible with Mr Gibson's explanation of what happened on the night of the unwanted sexual contact.

The sleep condition involved - known as parasomnia - has been used as a defence in several high profile criminal trials for offences such as alleged sex assaults and even murders.