Man cleared of raping woman in barbershop

A man accused of raping a woman in a barbershop has been acquitted.

Jurors took just over an hour to find Jowad Haji not guilty of the charges of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, assault by penetration and intentional strangulation.

The 24-year-old, of Coventry, was accused of raping the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in the Stratford-upon-Avon shop after offering her a job there in January, a trial at Warwick Crown Court heard.

He was arrested in February after the woman made a report to police weeks after she alleged the attack took place.

Haji, who gave evidence with the help of a Kurdish interpreter, told the court he had met the woman several times before and the pair had previously hugged and kissed.

On the day of the alleged attack, he said she had followed him to the back of the barbershop and had hugged him from behind, telling him she had missed him.

Haji said the pair kissed until the woman's friend returned to the shop and then they left, saying goodbye to him on the way out.

He said the pair had a "close relationship" but he did not find her sexually attractive and denied ever sexually assaulting her.

Haji said he had always been nice to the woman and "would never in my life do something wrong," when cross-examined by the prosecution.

The 24-year-old co-operated with the police and no record of conversations between Haji and the woman on Snapchat were found on his phone.

Addressing Haji in the dock after the verdicts were returned on Friday, Judge Anthony Warner said: "Mr Haji, that is it, the jury has acquitted you.

"The case is over. I expect you will have to go downstairs to sign a piece of paper, but you should then be released in a short period of time."

The judge also thanked the jurors for their time on the case.

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