Man acquitted of rape and indecent assaults

Thursday 31 August 2017

A 32-year-old man has been found not guilty of raping and indecently assaulting a 25-year-old woman in the Royal Court today after a three-day trial.

Although the 12 members of the jury, seven men and five women, couldn't reach an unanimous verdict on either of the four counts against Wayne Mark Highfield, a majority found him not guilty of all charges.

Mr Highfield, defended by Advocate Michael Haines, had maintained his innocence throughout the three-day trial. The case focused on whether or not he raped and indecently assaulted a 25-year-old woman on 28 December 2015 after a party in his flat.  

She claimed that, while she was sleeping in his bed, he sexually assaulted her on three occasions before raping her. Mr Highfield maintained that no intercourse had taken place. He said that they chatted, kissed each other but that all activity ceased when the woman told him she had a husband and a child.

The Prosecution, led by Crown Advocate Simon Thomas, said that the woman had not shown interest towards the defendant throughout the night but that he had mistakenly taken her flirtatious behaviour as an invitation to have sexual activity with her. Advocate Haines disagreed with that version saying that the forensic findings were entirely consistent with the defence’s case and positively supported it, as they did not conclude that sexual intercourse took place. 

The jury retired for only 90 minutes to consider their verdict but couldn't reach an unanimous verdict.