Man found not guilty of raping drunk woman on stretcher at Chesterfield Royal Hospital

Defendant Billy Barnett, 38, wept in the dock today (Friday) as jurors in his trial delivered their unanimous verdict after just two hours of deliberation.

During a week-long trial, jurors heard Barnett had sex with the female in a cubicle at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, having only just met her the same night.

The defendant – who met the complainant the previous evening at a Chesterfield pub – had ridden in an ambulance to the hospital with the young woman after seeing her hit in the face by her partner. The court heard she was intoxicated.

Jurors were told Barnett had raped the complainant after following her into a cubicle bay and “aggressively” drawing the curtains. However he claimed the complainant had instigated the “consensual” intercourse, having asked him to lie on the stretcher and “cuddle” her first.

Jurors heard how Barnett met the complainant and her partner during an open mic night at a Chesterfield pub. At around 4am all three were together at Tuminose kebab house on Cavendish Street when the victim’s partner struck her with his right hand.

The rape was alleged to have happened in a curtained cubicle at the hospital after she was taken to hospital with a jaw injury, accompanied in the ambulance by Barnett.

Jurors were told after being triaged the complainant was transferred to a cubicle bay with the defendant.

Judge Jonathan Straw told the jury: “The prosecution case is that the rape occurred while Billy and (the complainant) were alone together in the cubicle.”

However Barnett claimed the young woman had asked him to shut the curtains and lie behind her and give her a “cuddle”. The defendant claimed she then pulled down her own clothes and “consensual” sex followed.

A staff nurse who was working that night told the trial the victim confided in her that Barnett had raped her as she escorted the complainant to the toilet.

Following the disclosure, as the nurse told Barnett he “needed to leave” he told her the complainant had “had loads of drugs”.

Barnett, of High Street, Staveley, was found not guilty of one count of rape.