By Staff Reporter

Last updated at 11:18, Saturday, 14 July 2012

A man from Carlisle has been cleared of raping a woman in her sleep.

Related: Drunken woman woke to find man having sex with her, Carlisle court told

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed that after going home with 23-year-old William Cannon she woke up to find him having sex with her.

But a jury at the city’s Crown Court yesterday took less than two hours to clear him.

During the three-day trial the jury heard that the woman had been out drinking with family and friends.

By 3am, when she left a city centre nightspot, she put herself as being “eight out of 10” on a scale of drunkenness.

The woman had spoken to Mr Cannon, of Welsh Road, Harraby, inside the club and once outside they agreed to go to the home of one of his friends.

While there, they decided they needed more alcohol and so she went out to get it, taking it back to her house.

Having changed into her pyjamas, she suddenly felt ill and fell asleep on the sofa, the jury were told.

The woman said she later woke up in her bedroom, and found Mr Cannon was on top of her.

Mr Cannon said they had not had sexual intercourse. They had cuddled, he said, he then woke up and left.

First published at 10:51, Saturday, 14 July 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk