A Limerick man was found not guilty yesterday by direction of a judge of the rape of a woman in 1993.
Prosecution counsel Mr Michael Durack SC said that in view of rulings made in respect of certain proposed evidence during legal argument on Friday, he had no further evidence to offer.
Mr Justice Carney told the jury there was no evidence before it on which to convict. Therefore he was granting an application by defence counsel Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley to direct a verdict of not guilty.
During a three-day trial in the Central Criminal Court, the 27-year-old man pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault of the woman, who is in her 50s, on the night of December 21st to 22nd, 1993.
