A CARLISLE man who was accused of sexually assaulting a woman as she walked her dog late at night on a city street has been found not guilty.

A deputy district judge announced the verdict on 25-year-old Todor Peev after hearing his account and watching the only evidence that was available from the alleged victim, a videotaped police interview.

This was because the woman, in her late 40s, has since died, the court was told.

The trial at the city's Rickergate court heard that the charge had related to alleged events on March 11 last year, which came to light after the woman returned to her home in Currock after a late night walk.

She told her teenaged daughter she had been “attacked.”

The court heard a statement from the woman's father, who recalled how the morning after the alleged attack his daughter arrived at his home in tears and upset.

The woman told her mother that she had been out walking her dog the previous night when she was knocked down by somebody who then  “tried in on with her.” She was “held down” by the person, she said.

The trial also heard from the alleged victim's daughter, who confirmed that her mother had consumed alcohol on the evening in question and was “vulnerable” when she left the family home late at night to walk their dog.

The teenager recalled feeling worried about her mum, and making several calls to her - but she found it difficult to her mum as the dog was barking loudly and seemed “stressed out.” She knew there was something wrong, she said.

“I told her I was worried and wanted her to come home,” said the teenager, who said she heard a male voice in the background.

Recalling the minutes when her mum arrived home, the teenager said: “She was saying she’d just been attacked. I was very overwhelmed.”

The trial then heard a summary of the defendant’s police interview. He recalled leaving his home between 11pm and midnight, intending to go to a nearby garage to buy a drink and some chocolate.

Noticing the alleged victim was walking along the street with a large dog, he offered to walk her home, he said.

They walked towards a Chinese restaurant and “kissed and hugged” for the first time, he said. He said the contact was consensual and involved no force.

Peev was then asked about what happened at the entrance to an alleyway and whether he had dragged the woman down to the ground. “No,” he said. “We hugged and kissed in the alleyway.” He said they had fallen together, landing side by side.

“I didn’t try to have sex with her,” he told the officers.

Peev, of Currock Road, Carlisle, said that if he had assaulted the woman her dog would have attacked him. He said he and the woman had “both agreed” to go into the alleyway and they had kissed “five or six times” while there.

Peev told the officers: “I swear I didn’t do anything.” If he had done something wrong, he said, he would have deleted the CCTV images that showed him leaving his home and then later walking beside the woman.

He added that the allegation had led to him losing his job. Deputy District Judge Matthew Williams expressed concern about Peev’s behaviour that night but concluded that he could not find the prosecution case to be proved.

He returned a not guilty verdict.