Jury sent out in rape trial of UK Fast founder Lawrence Jones

Jurors have been sent out to deliberate in the trial of UK Fast founder Lawrence Jones. Mr Jones, 55, of Brooks Drive in Hale Barns, is accused of ‘stupifying’ two young women with drugs before raping them in the 1990s.

Mr Jones says he never met one of his accusers and says sex he had with a second woman was consensual. Prosecutors allege that he called the first complainant ‘pr*** tease’, before pouncing on her after giving her a glass of red wine and a spliff.

They claim that he told the second complainant to sniff from a medicine bottle containing a clear liquid, before he ‘got on top of her’ and raped her. Mr Jones denies two counts of rape.

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In her legal directions last week, Judge Sarah Johnston told the jury: “Cases like that often provoke strong emotions. There’s sympathy for the accuser or accused. But emotion is not a helpful or appropriate tool to make judgments in this case.

“You need to put aside emotions and make your judgement having taken a clear, calm and rational view of the evidence.” The jury of six men and six women were sent out to deliberate on their verdicts at 11.20am, following a three week trial.

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