Shropshire student found guilty of raping woman

Phillip Carlisle was found guilty by jury on a majority verdict following more than five hours of deliberations.

The 21-year-old had denied one charge of rape, alleged to have happened in November 2013 when he was at Harper Adams University, near Newport.

Shrewsbury Crown Court earlier heard Carlisle had been playing rugby for the university team and had then spent the evening drinking.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also out drinking that night with friends and had started chatting to Carlisle in a bar.

Mr Peter Arnold, prosecuting, said the two met in a bar, kissed and, at the end of the night, the woman, who had also had a lot to drink, wanted to find a taxi home.

Mr Arnold had earlier told the jury Carlisle said he would walk her to find a taxi but instead walked her to the house he shared which was near to the university.

He described how witnesses on the night in question claimed to have seen him "pulling her along like a parent would pull a toddler".

Back at the house, Mr Arnold said they went to his room and the woman alleged he "forced himself" on her.

They were interrupted and she managed to get away from him, left the house and rang a friend in tears.

Carlisle, from Finghall in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, maintained throughout the trial that the two had had sex but that it had been consensual.

He said he remembered an argument and telling the woman to get out of the house.

Giving evidence, he said he "100 per cent did not" rape the woman.

The court heard Carlisle had been playing rugby for the university and by 2am the next day had drunk three quarters of a bottle of red wine, six pints of bitter and some Jaeger Bombs.

But he denied forcing himself on the woman and said she had come back with him to the house "willingly".

Judge Peter Barrie adjourned the case for probation to carry out a pre-sentence report, and bailed Carlisle to appear back at court on a date to be fixed for sentence.