Sunderland footballer Jack Diamond has been cleared of rape and sexual assault of a girl he met on a courting app.
The 23-year-old winger was discovered not responsible of raping and sexually assaulting a girl he initially met on Tinder after inviting her to his dwelling.
Diamond denied assaulting the lady at his home in Washington, Sunderland, in May 2022.
Prosecutors had claimed Diamond compelled himself on the lady after agreeing earlier than she got here round that “nothing more than cuddling would happen”.
Diamond instructed the courtroom that each one sexual exercise between them that evening had been consensual and that he believed the lady had been “in a mood with him” after she initiated full intercourse and he refused.
Newcastle Crown Court was instructed that Diamond and the lady turned “friends with benefits” after assembly on a courting app and each agreed the connection was “95% about sex”.
Diamond instructed the courtroom he hoped that sexual exercise may occur when he invited the lady round that evening, however that “it wasn’t at the forefront of my mind”.
Prosecutor David Povall had stated the lady consented to some sexual exercise earlier than Diamond went to sleep however instructed jurors that he then awoke and sexually assaulted and raped her.
Diamond instructed the courtroom the lady received into mattress with him and there was some sexual exercise, however that when she tried to provoke full intercourse, he stated: “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
He stated the lady turned away from him so he began to the touch her once more “to almost comfort her because I thought she was getting in a mood” however she pushed his hand away.
Diamond stated he “wasn’t really that fussed” and thought the lady was “in a huff”.
He instructed the courtroom he went to the bathroom and received again into mattress earlier than the lady received up and stated she was going to depart.
In her closing speech, Eleanor Laws KC, defending Diamond, stated he was “not the entitled, arrogant footballer who thought the world owed him everything, but a 19-year-old man – when he first met the complainant – who made mistakes.”
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Ms Law instructed jurors: “He is not on trial for being immature, he is not on trial for making mistakes, he is not on trial for misreading the signals about whether he had hurt someone.”
The participant was on mortgage with Lincoln City final season however the deal was terminated after he was charged, and Sunderland suspended him.
Sunderland issued a press release saying: “Following the conclusion of the judicial process, Jack will now return to the Academy of Light and resume footballing activity.”
Following the decision, Diamond put his head in his hand and began sobbing.
Source: information.sky.com”