Footballer is found not guilty of raping woman

A JURY found a Teesside footballer not guilty of raping a woman in his car. Harry Butters was accused of sexually assaulting a woman after meeting her on a night out and offering her a lift home.

- By JOHN ROGAN and KALI LINDSAY

Butters, who plays for Darlington FC under-23s, stood trial at Teesside Crown Court charged with rape, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, assault by penetration and sexual assault.

The jury heard that Butters, of Mayfield Crescent, Eaglescliffe, denied the allegations, and said what happened was “entirely with consent” The jury found Butters not guilty of all counts.

During the trial, the jury heard that Butters was on a night out in Darlington when he offered a woman a lift home. Prosecutor Andrew Findlay said: “As he was driving her home, he pulled into a layby and committed various sexual assaults against her. It is the prosecution’s case she did not agree to the sexual activity that took place in his car.” Mr Findlay told the jury that during the car journey, the woman sent a text message to her friend, saying she was “scared”.

It was alleged Butters then pulled into a layby on a country road and began kissing her before “unbuttoning his trousers”