Zorro outfit man cleared of rape

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A man who was accused of luring a drunken 18-year-old into a dark alley and raping her while he was dressed as Zorro has been cleared by a jury.

Mario Duggan, 55, who was known for dressing up as the mythical Mexican bandit in a black cape, mask and fedora, sobbed at the verdict.

Mr Duggan from Carmarthen was then taken into protective custody under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act.

Swansea Crown Court heard Mr Duggan claimed the sex had been consensual.

The jury's verdict came a day after the trial judge Huw Davies QC ruled that Mr Duggan was no longer fit to stand trial.

It followed the conclusion of the prosecution case and meant he was deemed incapable of giving evidence in his own defence.

Despite the ruling, following the conclusion of the prosecution case, the jury was told it should still retire to reach a verdict.

As a consequence, Judge Davies summed up the case as usual after final speeches from the prosecution and defence teams.

Town centre alley

Earlier in the trial, which opened on Monday, the jury had heard that Mr Duggan, of no fixed abode, was accused of raping a drunken 18-year-old woman in Carmarthen on 5 July, while dressed in a cloak, mask and fedora.

CCTV footage of Mr Duggan showed him approaching the teenager outside the Metro night club in the early hours of the morning.

The jury watched footage of the pair disappearing together into a town centre alley, not covered by camera, some minutes later.

The women is not seen again until she re-emerges dishevelled and minus her shoes, knickers and jeans 40 minutes later, claiming she has been raped.

She went on to tell the police that Mr Duggan had shouted he wanted to make "baby Zorros" as he was raping her.

Mr Duggan, still dressed as Zorro, was arrested by the police and claimed that sex between him and the woman had been consensual.

The jury were asked to decide whether the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the woman had not consented to sexual intercourse with the defendant.

After four hours the jury concluded that it had not, and that they found Mr Duggan not guilty of rape.

He is now to undergo a mental health assessment and is expected to be admitted to the psychiatric unit at Cefn Coed Hospital, in Swansea.