A police officer accused of raping and assaulting a woman and a six-year-old girl has been acquitted of all charges.
Martyn Coulter, 36, was found not guilty of six charges at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday with one charge – of assaulting the girl – found to be not proven.
The jury of nine men and six women took under four hours to clear him of the allegations after they retired on Monday afternoon.
Coulter had denied raping and assaulting a woman and a six-year-old child.
During the seven-day trial, the court heard evidence about the alleged incidents.
But there were no concrete dates agreed on when the incidents were said to have taken place.
Coulter’s defence agent, Ian Duguid KC, presented evidence to the trial showing Coulter’s whereabouts on September 23 2013 including Google maps, timelines, bank statements and social media posts.
The court was also shown records of Coulter’s army training records, which revealed he was on a training course between September 6 and 21 that year.
A woman told the court on February 6 she could not recall the exact date, but said she went to Coulter’s flat at lunchtime on or around September 23 2013 to celebrate the news he was going on a tour of duty of Afghanistan with the Territorial Army.
She told the court he had wanted to have sex with her to celebrate, but she told him she did not want to because she did not have time. She alleged he then raped her.
But the court heard that she appeared to have gone on a night out with Coulter that evening.
She also told the court she could not remember the night in question as it was 10 years ago.
The witness, however, insisted she could not remember being with him on the date in question.
Mr Duguid put it to the witness that Coulter had not received a letter that he would be deployed to Afghanistan in September, and had actually been told in November he would be sent for a maximum of 12 weeks due to being in the Territorial Army.
Coulter was suspended from Police Scotland as a result of the accusations.
Upon hearing the verdict, an emotional Coulter put his head in his hands and cried with relief.
Cries could also be heard from members of his family and friends who had gathered in the public gallery to support him throughout the trial.
Judge Lady Drummond told him: “Mr Coulter, you have been acquitted of all charges and you are free to go.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “The officer remains suspended and, given that criminal proceedings have concluded, the matter will now be assessed for misconduct by Police Scotland’s Professional Standards Department.”
