Man cleared of raping teenager (From Western Telegraph)

Man cleared of raping teenager

A Pembroke DOCK man has been cleared of rape after telling a jury how he had spontaneous sex with a stranger.

The prosecution claimed such encounters happened only 'in the minds of certain men'.

But a jury at Swansea crown court believed Jonathan Dadswell and he was cleared after a short deliberation.

The court heard Mr Dadswell had told his pregnant girlfriend he was popping out for some cigarettes - but had unexpected sex with a teenager on the way.

Mr Dadswell, aged 20, knocked on a flat as he headed to a local shop. When a pretty visitor answered, he asked her for a cigarette.

He maintained it had been 'impulsive sex' between two young people.

He said he had expected someone else to answer the door but found himself facing the teenager instead. She told him she was alone and the two engaged in 'some dirty talking' while they laughed and smoked, the court heard.

Within minutes, he was performing various sex acts with the teenager, including intercourse.

"We suddenly felt guilty and stopped part way through," he said.

Mr Dadswell left to buy a pack of cigarettes and then returned to his girlfriend.

Shortly afterwards, a man began hammering at the flat door, shouting Dadswell had raped the teenager.

"My girlfriend didn't know what was going on. She was very distressed. She was crying. It was not pleasant for me either," he said.

Mr Patrick Griffiths, prosecuting, said such spontaneous sex didn't happen. "His account is extraordinary, so extraordinary that it cannot be true," he said.

He added: "Some men may dream about it, but it just doesn't happen in the real world."

Judge Gerald Price told the jury they had a stark choice - either to believe Mr Dadswell or the teenager.