Nick Crawshaw walked free for the first time in almost a year-and-a-half after being cleared of a string of sex offence charges.

The 23-year-old from Hoole was found not guilty at the end of a 16-month court saga.

Mr Crawshaw has been critical of the police at both of his trials.

He had been in custody since June of 2015 when he was arrested for a second time and denied bail.

Mr Crawshaw became increasingly frustrated at the way investigators would bring more charges against him as more women came forward with allegations.

He had faced six counts of rape, three of sexual assault and two of assault by penetration against eight women from between 2010-2012.

The Hoole man was cleared on all charges by unanimous verdicts at Warrington Crown Court on Tuesday (October 18).

Warrington Crown Court

Mr Crawshaw, who wept as the verdicts were read out, had been found not guilty of a further eight allegations from 2015 at his initial trial in February.

His application for bail following this trial was refused despite the fact he was cleared of the allegations which led to his initial arrest.

The Crown Prosecution Service objected to him being released at that time.

Following Tuesday's not guilty verdicts, Mersey-Cheshire CPS deputy chief crown prosecutor Alison Mutch said: “Eight women made allegations of rape or serious sexual assaults against Nicholas Crawshaw.

“These were serious allegations that were investigated thoroughly by Cheshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges.

“Nicholas Crawshaw has been tried on those charges and the jury have found him not guilty.

“We respect the decision of the jury.”

Two officers from Cheshire Constabulary’s Dedicated Rape Unit also gave evidence in the retrial.

Mr Crawshaw’s defence barrister Mark Le Brocq questioned them on the way some of the evidence was gathered. Both said they believed it had been done ‘fairly and properly’.

Cheshire police detective chief superintendent Serena Kennedy said: “In this case we received reports of serious sexual assaults from eight women which we investigated thoroughly.

“We consequently gathered enough evidence to secure the approval to charge by CPS.

“We note the decision of the court to find him not guilty.”

In his evidence Mr Crawshaw admitted to being a ‘womaniser’, but said he ‘did not know’ why the complainants in the case would ‘make up’ the allegations against him.

Some of the women were friends to each other and others went to the same Chester high school as Mr Crawshaw. One was also a former sexual partner.

On the majority of the counts he said the incidents never happened and where sexual contact did occur it was consensual.

He said: “I have always respected women 100%. My mum always used to have a go at me for being a womaniser.

“I don’t believe it every time they say they are investigating both sides.

“I got fed up of wasting my breath and my energy talking to them. Not at all do I trust them.”