A MAN accused of sexual activity with a child has been found not guilty on all counts.
Brian Lee Cerqua, of Amesbury, wept in the dock as he was told he could walk away from Salisbury Crown Court an innocent man on Friday, April 19.
It took the jury just two hours and 43 minutes of deliberation to find Mr Cerqua not guilty of six counts of sexual activity with a child.
The father-of-four had been on trial since Monday, April 8.
Mr Cerqua denied the charges throughout and stood in the witness box to give evidence on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Fern Russell, defending, brought the jury's attention to the fact the victim had denied any sexual involvement with Mr Cerqua before eventually "blurting it out" to a friend in 2021.
"Either she was lying for years or she's lying now," said Ms Russell.
His Honour Judge Timothy Mousley KC thanked Mr Cerqua before discharging him from the dock.
He then turned to the jury and said: "Thank you very much for the very obvious care and attention on this case.
"I'm very much of the opinion that trial by jury is the right system to have. I think it's probably the best system in the world."
Ms Russell made an application to the court to cover Mr Cerqua's travel expenses.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article