was found not guilty.

It took close to three hours for the 12-member jury to decide in the Supreme Court yesterday.

When asked about the outcome lawyer Mr. Phillip Perinchief said: "Justice has been done. In a rape case there are no winners. Both the complainant and my client go through an ordeal that the system demands under the present legislation governing rape cases.'' The defendant had no comment.

Last week a 20-year-old woman accused the 23-year-old man of raping her on September 13, 1992 on Whale Bay beach in Southampton.

The complainant told the court that after seeing the defendant at a baby shower he called her and asked if he could visit her.

"When he came I got in the car and he just drove off. He asked me where I wanted to go and I told him I didn't know.

"He drove to Whale Bay beach and I got out of the car. He started walking towards the beach. I followed him down to the beach because I didn't want to stay in the dark parking lot.'' The woman added that while on the beach the defendant "flopped'' her on the ground and raped her.

The defendant said he and the complainant made love with her consent.

He said he had no idea why the woman accused him of raping her.

"While we were on the beach we were talking and I kissed her. She responded.

She never moved away from me,'' the defendant said.

"I walked towards another area and she caught me up and I helped her along the rocks because she had taken her slippers off.

"When we reached the spot, we started kissing and then I took my shirt off and put it beneath her.'' He added that it was a total lie that he flopped her on the ground. "She ended up on the ground through a basic act of love making. It was of her own free will.

"While we were making love she asked me if I would leave my girlfriend for her and when I said no, she told me to stop, and I stopped.'' After the verdict was read, Puisne Judge the Hon. Mrs. Justice Wade told the defendant he was free to go.