Otto Putland, who represented Wales in swimming at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, was acquitted from one rape charge this week, but could still face retrial on a second rape charge.
Wales Online reports that the 23-year-old Putland was on trail in Cardiff Crown Court this week on two rape allegations. Per that report, Putland went out to a club with his friend, Olympic swimmer Ieuan Lloyd, in July of 2015. The two met a woman (unnamed in the case) and she went home with Lloyd, where they had sex. But the woman says that later that night, Lloyd left the room and Putland came in and started disrobing. When Putland began kissing her, the woman says she protested, saying “What are you doing? You can’t pass me around.”
But she says Putland went on to rape her twice that night.
Today, the Cardiff court returned with a verdict. Per The Sun, Putland was acquitted of one rape charge, but the jury couldn’t come to a verdict on the other rape charge. Judge Jeremy Jenkins discharged the jury, saying that it was not a realistic prospect that the 10 jurors could come to a verdict. The prosecuting attorney asked for seven days to decide whether to seek a retrial on the unresolved charge. Judge Jenkins will hear the case again on September 15.
The way the story is laid out, it sounds like this would be a case where he’d either be acquitted of both charges or found guilty of both. I’m curious as to what led to this result. From the cited articles, it’s not entirely clear.
I agree. How/why would they decide he did it once but not a second time if it was the same night?