Former Britain’s Got Talent finalist cleared of raping two women

Former Britain’s Got Talent finalist Andrew Johnston, 30, has been found not guilty of raping two women.

Andrew Johnston, 30, competed as a singer on the ITV programme in 2008.

Mr Johnston was charged with raping and sexually assaulting one woman and raping another.

However, he told the Southwark Crown Court during trial that both women had told “a pack of lies”.

He was never aggressive and the sex was consensual, he said.

A jury of nine women and three men found him not guilty on all the charges.

The alleged offences happened a number of years after Mr Johnston shot to fame as a choirboy on the ITV show, Maryam Syed KC, prosecuting, told the jury previously.

Ms Syed said Mr Johnston, of Carlisle, Cumbria, had been “engaging in consensual sexual activity” with one of the women, but he allegedly removed his condom.

The woman said she “repeatedly told Mr Johnston to stop” but he did not.

The other woman told police she engaged in consensual sex with the singer and asked him to use a condom.

However, he put his hands around her throat and removed the condom before carrying on, it was alleged.

Mr Johnston was born in Dumfries, Scotland, but moved when he was about eight months old.

After appearing on Britain’s Got Talent, he released an album that went to number four in the UK charts and appeared on tour with other finalists.

He told the court he had “never sung a note” after the allegations were made.

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