Kent man jailed for festival rape cleared at retrial

Parrie Jacob was found not guilty at a retrial in February

A man who was jailed for the rape of a woman in a portable toilet at a Kent beer festival has been cleared after facing a retrial.

Parrie Jacob, of Herons Way, Hythe, was jailed for seven and a half years after he was found guilty in 2022.

Evidence came from a new witness, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Mr Jacob was acquitted of the attack - said to have happened at a festival in Mersham in July 2019 - at a retrial at Canterbury Crown Court in February.

The BBC has approached Mr Jacob and his family for comment.

A CPS spokeswoman said that the defendant appealed against his conviction, which led to a Court of Appeal judgement ordering a retrial.

She said: "Following the retrial, the jury acquitted the defendant and we respect their decision."

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].