A St Andrews man accused of raping a man in Dundee has been acquitted.
Gareth Niven, 26, was found not guilty following a trial.
Niven, of Motray Crescent, St Andrews, was accused of committing a sex attack on an area of waste ground near Matthews Foods in Gellatly Street in October 2015.
He was further alleged to have assaulted the man by kissing him on the mouth, putting his hand down his trousers, seizing him by the body and removed his trousers and his underwear. This was dropped at an earlier date by the Crown.
He had also been accused of using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices towards an underage boy between November 2007 and November 2009. This was dropped before proceeding to trial.
Douglas Williams, solicitor for Niven, said: “His trial proceeded before the High Court in Edinburgh last week and concluded this week.
”The indictment proceeded on two charges only, a previous charge regarding lewd and libidinous behaviour having been withdrawn at the last preliminary hearing due to lack of insistence, was deserted pro loco et tempore.
“At the conclusion of the Crown case this week, the charge of sexual assault was withdrawn by the advocate depute.
“The only case before the jury was the allegation of rape and they returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty.”
