Rape accused walks free

The rape case against an official at the Lord Chancellor's department dramatically collapsed today.

Michael Burrell, 36, was accused of attacking a senior civil servant at an office party after she rejected his advances. Mr Burrell, who always maintained she consented to sex, was acquitted today when his alleged victim was judged to be too ill to give further testimony.

As he left the Old Bailey Mr Burrell, from Crawley, issued a statement saying: "I am relieved that my 15-month ordeal is over.

"I feel that justice has finally been done and that I have been publicly vindicated."

Mr Justice Aikens, who threw out the case today, noted that there were "many inconsistencies" in versions of the alleged rape and indecent assault she had given police.

For the first time it can be revealed that the 39-year-old woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had a history of mental health problems and suicide attempts.

Two weeks ago she described in court her years of abuse as a child at the hands of her father.

When the case opened three weeks ago she initially refused to enter the witness box unless the judge imposed an unprecedented news blackout on her evidence. The judge made it clear such a ban was out of the question. Today's verdict follows a two-week adjournment after she broke down while being cross-examined about Burrell's claims that she had fully consented to sex.

The judge said today that the cross-examination by Elizabeth Marsh, QC, had been handled with "care, discretion and sensitivity" and could not be blamed for the witness breaking down.

Mr Burrell was working as a senior civil servant in the Department for Constitutional Affairs. His alleged victim had

claimed that Burrell had attacked her after a wine and nibbles party for staff from a number of government departments in September last year.

He said she had led him to a side room to talk about how unhappy she was at home and had started kissing him and taking her clothes off. In a statement read to the court today she said that giving evidence had been too traumatic.

She said she understood that failing to give evidence in the trial would result in Mr Burrell's acquittal.