A MAN accused of raping a woman in a tunnel near to the River Croal has been found not guilty.

Max Waring, aged 20, of Levens Drive, Breightmet, appeared at Bolton Crown Court yesterday, where he faced two counts of raping the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

He also faced one charge of sexual assault by penetration and another of coercive behaviour.

The jury returned verdicts of not guilty on all charges after three hours and 36 minutes of deliberation.

Earlier in the trial, Waring pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Waring had attacked the woman in March, 2017, after meeting up to solve a dispute and walking to Church Bank to talk.

At an earlier hearing, last week, Peter Kennedy, prosecuting, claimed that Waring had grabbed the woman around the throat, throttling her, before hitting and punching her.

The prosecution further claimed that Waring took the woman into a tunnel where he exposed himself to her, forced her to perform a sex act on him and raped her.

Waring denied the offence and defending, Mark Monaghan, said that Waring had lost his temper during an argument with the woman and proceeded to hit her.

The pair then made up and had consensual sex, Mr Monaghan said, describing the woman’s allegations as an act of revenge.

Waring was given a 12-month community order as well as 15 rehabilitation requirement days, 60 hours unpaid work and a victim surcharge for assault occasioning ABH.