Monday, April 26, 2010

Jack Tweed cleared of raping 19-year-old as jury spends just 15 minutes reaching verdict

By Colin Fernandez

Free man: Jack Tweed is seen admiring a pretty blonde outside the William IV pub in Essex hours after being cleared of rape

Jack Tweed was cleared in less than 20 minutes yesterday of raping a teenage student at his home.

Tweed, the widower of reality TV star Jade Goody, is now set to cash in on his acquittal by selling his story to the highest bidder.

The 22-year-old punched the air as he left court after the woman's 'scurrilous' allegations were dismissed.


Toasting his freedom: Tweed looked in good spirits and later headed to a second pub to continue the celebrations


Last night a relieved Tweed was pictured celebrating with a group of friends at the William IV pub in Essex.

Dressed casually in jeans, a light blue shirt and a dark cardigan, the former Celebrity Big Brother contestant looked to be in good spirits and was seen admiring a pretty blonde walking past.

He then headed to a second pub to continue the celebrations.

His jaunt came shortly after the verdict was delivered, bringing an end to the nine-day trial in which Tweed had been accused of forcing himself on the woman six months after Miss Goody died of cervical cancer.

It was claimed his friend Anthony Davis, 26, blocked any escape route by holding the door, before having sex with the student himself.


Walking free: Tweed and his friend Anthony Davis smiled and punched after they were both found not guilty of raping a teenager


But both men said the woman, then aged 19, consented to sex - and their lawyers successfully argued she 'cried rape' after her friends taunted her for having sex with two men at the same time.

Tweed, who has two convictions for assault, said in a statement read outside court by his solicitor Phil Smith: 'I'm relieved the jury have taken a matter of minutes to see through these scurrilous and completely groundless allegations.

'I would like to thank my legal team who fought to establish my innocence. I now wish to put the last eight months behind me and rebuild my life as a 22-year-old man.'

His publicity representatives are preparing to sell magazine and newspaper interview rights and deals for him to appear on reality TV shows.


Relief: He gets a hug from his mother Mary outside the courtroom


Davis, on the verge of tears as he walked free, said: 'This hasn't been a nice experience.'

A senior source at the Crown Prosecution Service said the case 'was not the strongest - it should never have been brought'.

But the mother of the complainant, who is now 20, said: 'She will be very upset by this. She's put herself through all of this and it's come to nothing. It's been hellish.'

Max Clifford, the celebrity publicist who represented Miss Goody in her final days, said: 'I am very pleased for Jack and his family, especially his mum, who I got to know very well when Jade was alive.'

Mr Clifford, who is not representing Tweed, added: 'I hope this will be a lesson for Jack. I warned him about this kind of thing even when Jade was alive. He has become a target for girls looking to make money out of him.'

The trial heard the student and three friends went to a club night promoted by Tweed at the Embassy Club in Mayfair last September.

The girl had 'a few' drinks, including rose wine, vodka lemonade, a sip of champagne, and a 'dab' of cocaine.

She and her friends were invited to Tweed's rented townhouse in the gated community of Repton Park, East London, at around 3am.

She alleged that as Davis held the door shut Tweed raped her against a window sill, and then on the bed, before Davis raped her himself. She said she was unable to move as her body was in 'complete lockdown' and 'frozen with fear'. She said her 'life had been destroyed' after the attack.

But jurors were shown a series of pictures from Facebook that showed her enjoying herself at clubs and on holiday in the six months afterwards.

Tweed said the student had kissed him in a bedroom before the attack.

'I turned round and she was standing right behind me, we looked at each other and just started kissing,' he told the court.


New girlfriend: Chanelle Hayes, who is six months pregnant to an ex-boyfriend, leaving Tweed's family home yesterday morning


'We made eye contact. I'm not sure if it was both of them or one of them but she was running her hands through my hair and down my back.'

He said he did not know Davis was in the room and only became aware of him when he walked over and began to have sex with her himself.

A 20-year-old nanny Tweed had befriended in Spain, who was also at the party, said the girl was desperate to stay at the house after the 'attack'.

The woman only reported the two men out of regret at taking part in 'a threesome', Snaresbrook Crown Court in East London was told.

One of Tweed's friends, Ashley Rubin, was initially arrested on suspicion of rape, but was released without charge after it became clear he had nothing to do with the alleged sex attack.

Tweed, of Repton Park, Woodford Green, was cleared of two counts of rape. Davis, of Chigwell, Essex, was cleared of one count of rape.


source: dailymail