Ched Evans 'overwhelmed' to be cleared of rape after prison and retrial

He served half of a five-year prison sentence before being released but there was a public outcry when he attempted to return to professional football.

Mr Evans joined League One club Chesterfield FC after the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction and ordered a retrial earlier this year.

His family had employed private investigators to gather new evidence, with a £50,000 reward offered for information to help his case.

In a rare move, the jury at Cardiff Crown Court heard evidence from two men who had sex with the complainant around the time of the rape allegation.

The jury of seven women and five men took less than three hours to find Mr Evans not guilty of the charge following the eight-day trial.

After the verdict, Mr Evans rushed from the dock and wept as he embraced his partner Natasha Massey, who has stood by him throughout.

In a statement read by his solicitor outside court, Mr Evans said: "In the early hours of 30th May 2011 an incident occurred in North Wales that was to change my life and the lives of others forever.

"That incident did not involve the commission of a criminal offence and today I am overwhelmed with relief that the jury agreed."

Mr Evans thanked his legal team for their "tireless efforts", along with his friends and family including Miss Massey who supported him in his "darkest hour".

"Whilst my innocence has now been established, I wish to make it clear that I wholeheartedly apologise to anyone who might have been affected by the events of the night in question," he added.

Chesterfield chief executive Chris Turner welcomed the jury's decision, saying the club was "naturally delighted".

"We can now all move forward and focus on football," Mr Turner added.

In March last year, lawyers for Mr Evans told the Court of Appeal that the safety of his conviction was undermined by new evidence not available at the first trial.

Two men gave details of the complainant's sexual preferences that were similar to those given by Evans, supporting his assertion that she had consented to sex.

A complainant's sexual history is not usually put before a jury in trials involving such offences.

But, allowing the appeal and ordering a retrial, Lady Justice Hallett said: "It may well be a rare case in which it will be appropriate to indulge in this kind of forensic examination of sexual behaviour with others.

"In our judgment this is potentially such a rare case."

One of the men told the jury he had a "purely sexual" relationship with the woman, including an encounter two days before she had sex with Mr Evans.

The other said the complainant had woken up the morning after sex claiming she could not remember what had happened. Neither man can be named for legal reasons.

Giving his evidence-in-chief at the retrial, 13-cap Wales international Mr Evans insisted the woman was not too drunk to consent to sex.

He had been on a night out in Rhyl on May 29, 2011, with friends including fellow footballer Clayton McDonald.

At 2.30am the following morning, the group went to The Godfather kebab shop and ate food there.

CCTV images show the complainant falling over inside the kebab shop, with Mr Evans pointing and walking past her.

Later, Mr McDonald and the woman took a taxi to the Premier Inn near Rhyl, where a £92 room had been booked by Mr Evans.

During the taxi journey, Mr McDonald texted Mr Evans to tell him: "I've got a bird".

Mr Evans, along with his younger brother Ryan Roberts and friend Jack Higgins, then took a taxi to the hotel.

The striker obtained a room key from reception and let himself in to room 14, where Mr McDonald and the woman were having sex.

Mr Roberts and Mr Higgins walked to the window of the room and used a mobile phone to film inside.

The jury heard that, after Mr Evans entered the room, Mr McDonald asked: "Can my mate join in", and the woman replied: "Yes".

Mr Evans, aged 22 at the time, performed a sex act on the woman before having sex with her.

He told the jury the woman had not been drunker than himself or Mr McDonald and seemed to be "enjoying herself".

Mr McDonald left the hotel through reception, with Mr Evans walking out via a fire exit door minutes later.

During cross-examination, Mr Evans confirmed he had not spoken to the woman as they had unprotected sex and did not know her name.

"Looking back, I am ashamed. On reflection I should not have behaved that way," he told the jury.

The woman told the court she awoke in the room hours later, alone and confused, with no recollection of what happened.

She feared her drink had been spiked, telling the jury: "I was just dead confused as to how I had got there and who I went there with. I didn't know what had gone on."

Mr McDonald and Mr Evans were arrested in Cheshire on May 31.

Following a trial in April 2012, a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court acquitted Mr McDonald of rape but convicted Mr Evans.

The complainant was forced to move house at least five times following the original trial, after being repeatedly identified on social media.

North Wales Police are now investigating further naming of the woman in the wake of the retrial - a criminal offence under Section Five of the Sexual Offences Amendments Act.

"People need to be aware that they could find themselves being arrested and prosecuted," Superintendent Jo Williams said.

"This was done previously, people were prosecuted and heavily fined."

Ed Beltrami, chief crown prosecutor for CPS Wales said: "This case hinged on the issue of sexual consent - that someone consents if they agree by choice and have the freedom and capacity to make that choice.

"Being drunk does not mean a person relinquishes their right to consent, that they are to blame for being attacked or that they were 'fair game'.

"The prosecution argued that the complainant did not have the capacity to consent, but the jury found they could not be sure, beyond reasonable doubt, that the complainant did not consent, or that Evans thought she was not consenting."

He thanked the complainant for her courage in both trials.