A JURY has cleared a man from Purton of sexual assault.

David Woods had stood trial this week accused of seven sexual offences, but was cleared by a jury on Wednesday evening.

The alleged victim had claimed that he had pushed her against a garage and sexually assaulted her, whilst on other occasions forcibly kissed her, forced her to masturbate him, groped her and touched her over her clothing.

But Woods, of South View, was cleared of wrongdoing by the 11-person jury.

The four counts of sexual assault, two counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and one count of assault by penetration, were dismissed.

The trial had heard that in one incident, the complainant had been walking through a row of garages in Royal Wootton Bassett when he pushed her up against a garage, put his hand into the woman’s underwear and sexually assaulted her.

It related to when the woman was a teenager.

Woods’ advocate, Alex Daymond, had questioned why it had taken several years for the complainant to come forward, saying that she had been making up the allegations.