A MAN accused of raping a married woman in her own home on a summer's day while her husband was away on a course has been cleared by a jury.

The alleged victim claimed Robert Harrison jumped over her garden gate, dragged her inside and pulled down her shorts.

She said she kept telling him to stop but he was "in a happy, couldn't give a monkey's mood" and refused to listen.

But Lee Marklew, prosecuting, offered no evidence at the end of his case and Judge David McEvoy ordered a not guilty verdict.

Doctors had told Worcester Crown Court that the woman had not suffered any injuries they would have been expected from a rape.

The court had heard that Mr Harrison and the woman had had sex some years ago but never developed a relationship.

Mr Harrison, aged 39, of Worcester Road, Holt Heath, denied rape and told police they had sex by consent.

The woman alleged she was attacked in another Worcestershire village on July 4 last year.

Mr Marklew had said Mr Harrison, a mechanic who had a partner and a child, had tried to persuade the victim to keep his behaviour a secret.

But she phoned her sister and then went to police with her husband when he returned home.

Giving evidence, the woman said she was hanging washing out when Harrison came by and made a comment that her hair looked "sexy".

He then allegedly grabbed her arm and pulled inside to be "out of sight". She had already closed the curtains because it was a hot day.

She said there was no point in shouting because there was no one around to hear her. She felt panicky and kept telling him to stop.

The woman insisted he raped her for a few seconds but she twisted away and he fell off.

After he left, she sat on her settee.

"I couldn't believe what had just happened," she said. "It was like a dream. He said we needn't tell anyone about this."

She phoned her sister's mobile and told her of the attack.