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| Joseph Eubank found not guilty of raping teen | Joseph Eubank found not guilty of raping teen |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Joseph Eubank had denied raping a teenage girl who was out celebrating a friend’s birthday on 16 July 2022 | |
| Joseph Eubank had denied raping a teenage girl who was out celebrating a friend’s birthday on 16 July 2022 | |
| Published27 September 2024, 14:56 BST | Published27 September 2024, 14:56 BST |
| A 27-year-old man accused of raping a teenage girl on Brighton beach has been found not guilty. | A 27-year-old man accused of raping a teenage girl on Brighton beach has been found not guilty. |
| Joseph Eubank had denied raping the 16-year-old when she was out celebrating a friend’s birthday on 16 July 2022. | Joseph Eubank had denied raping the 16-year-old when she was out celebrating a friend’s birthday on 16 July 2022. |
| Prosecutor Beverly Cripps previously told Lewes Crown Court the girl was so drunk she "couldn't see straight". | Prosecutor Beverly Cripps previously told Lewes Crown Court the girl was so drunk she "couldn't see straight". |
| Mr Eubank, of Hove, has been found not guilty of two counts of rape. | Mr Eubank, of Hove, has been found not guilty of two counts of rape. |
| Jurors returned a unanimous verdict. | Jurors returned a unanimous verdict. |
| Speaking to Mr Eubank, who is a son of boxing legend Chris Eubank senior, Judge Christine Laing KC said: “You need to think about your behaviour. | |
| “You need the reflect on what you did that night. It was not decent behaviour in any way shape or form.” | “You need the reflect on what you did that night. It was not decent behaviour in any way shape or form.” |
| Outside the court room, Mr Eubank’s mother cried as she hugged her son. | |
| His solicitor Shahid Choudhary said it had been an “extremely difficult time for him and his family”. | |
| “Joseph's life has been at a standstill since he was a arrested and he can now move on to rebuild his future,” he said. | |
| 'Around uni age' | |
| Giving evidence on Wednesday, Mr Eubank said he had initially approached the teenager because "she was attractive" and that their encounter was "all very fluent and all very consensual". | Giving evidence on Wednesday, Mr Eubank said he had initially approached the teenager because "she was attractive" and that their encounter was "all very fluent and all very consensual". |
| "The body language was very clear," Mr Eubank told the court. | "The body language was very clear," Mr Eubank told the court. |
| "There was smirks, smiles, intense looks that we were sharing. Showing we were both attracted to each other." | "There was smirks, smiles, intense looks that we were sharing. Showing we were both attracted to each other." |
| Mr Eubank said he had not been drinking the night of the alleged attack. | |
| He also told the court he believed she was "around uni age" and that while she did stumble "one time" as they walked to the beach "it was not a drunken stumble". | |
| The teenager said he had initially been friendly but became more aggressive "moving her quickly down the beach". | |
| She said she "didn't realise" he had pulled her down to the bottom of the groynes near the sea at about 23:30 BST, where he forced her down. | |
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| Related topics | Related topics |
| Lewes | Lewes |
| Hove | Hove |
| Brighton | Brighton |