Man cleared

Press, 17 June 1988, Page 7

Man cleared

PA Wellington An Access training scheme instructor has been found not guilty in the High Court at Wellington of raping a Masterton girl, aged 14. Boyd Alexander Lawrence, aged 40, of Masterton, had pleaded not guilty to a charge of raping the girl on January 11. The case was tried by Mr Justice Ellis and a jury. The jury took 90 minutes to reach the verdict. The Crown had alleged that Lawrence had molested and raped the girl after inviting her to his house for dinner.

The girl, an Access trainee, had not been getting on well with her parents at the time. Miss Nicola Crutchley , for the Crown, had said that the girl had arrived at Lawrence’s house at 9 p.m. They had dinner, drank beer and watched television. But defence counsel, Mr Mike Bungay, said neighbours had not heard any noise or screams from Lawrence’s house that evening. There had been no evidence of damaged clothing and forensic scientists had found no evidence of sex having occurred after examining Lawrence’s lounge, he said.