jonwilly
LE
UK soldiers cleared of rape in US
06:30am 8th December 2005
A jury has acquitted two British Territorial Army soldiers of charges that they raped a local woman last summer while they were in Wyoming for training.
One of the soldiers was convicted of misdemeanour battery.
The Platte County District Court jury returned the verdict after deliberating for less than two hours in the trial, which began on Monday.
Andrew Leighton, 28, of Leeds, and Scott Aitken, 22, of Edinburgh, could have been sentenced to between five years and 50 years in prison on the first-degree sexual assault charge.
Aitken was convicted of battery and was sentenced to six months in jail, with credit for 133 days for the time he was confined to F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne. Judge Keith Kautz also fined him 500 dollars and ordered him to pay 500 dollars to the Crime Victims Compensation Fund.
Aitken's attorney, Dave Serelson, and Leighton's attorney, Dan Blythe, both declined to comment, as did Aitken and Leighton.
Platte County Attorney Eric Alden said he understood and respected the jury's decision. "There were obviously actions taken by everyone involved that were unwise and not well decided," Alden said.
The defence rested its case on Wednesday morning after Aitken testified that the woman had consented to the sex early in the morning of July 27 at a Guernsey home where she was staying. Aitken also admitted urinating on the woman, which led to the battery charge.
"I don't know why I did it. I can't explain it, it just happened," Aitken said under questioning by his attorney, David Serelson.
Defence attorneys contended the woman consented to the sex but became angry when Aitken urinated on her. The woman testified that she never consented to the sex and that she feared resisting the two soldiers.
john
Seems they got done for pizzing about.
06:30am 8th December 2005
A jury has acquitted two British Territorial Army soldiers of charges that they raped a local woman last summer while they were in Wyoming for training.
One of the soldiers was convicted of misdemeanour battery.
The Platte County District Court jury returned the verdict after deliberating for less than two hours in the trial, which began on Monday.
Andrew Leighton, 28, of Leeds, and Scott Aitken, 22, of Edinburgh, could have been sentenced to between five years and 50 years in prison on the first-degree sexual assault charge.
Aitken was convicted of battery and was sentenced to six months in jail, with credit for 133 days for the time he was confined to F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne. Judge Keith Kautz also fined him 500 dollars and ordered him to pay 500 dollars to the Crime Victims Compensation Fund.
Aitken's attorney, Dave Serelson, and Leighton's attorney, Dan Blythe, both declined to comment, as did Aitken and Leighton.
Platte County Attorney Eric Alden said he understood and respected the jury's decision. "There were obviously actions taken by everyone involved that were unwise and not well decided," Alden said.
The defence rested its case on Wednesday morning after Aitken testified that the woman had consented to the sex early in the morning of July 27 at a Guernsey home where she was staying. Aitken also admitted urinating on the woman, which led to the battery charge.
"I don't know why I did it. I can't explain it, it just happened," Aitken said under questioning by his attorney, David Serelson.
Defence attorneys contended the woman consented to the sex but became angry when Aitken urinated on her. The woman testified that she never consented to the sex and that she feared resisting the two soldiers.
john
Seems they got done for pizzing about.