May 24, 2012
Nanango-born speedway rider Darcy Ward, 20, has been found not guilty by a British jury of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
In a case that captured worldwide attention, Ward was cleared on Tuesday of assaulting the 17-year-old girl in a hotel room in Poole, Dorset.
A 17-year-old friend of Ward was also cleared of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
Both men had denied the charges.
Bournemouth Crown Court heard the alleged victim had consumed vast amounts of alcohol and later had no recollection of what had happened.
Ward, who won the world U21 speedway championship title in 2009 and 2010, and the Australia U21 title in 2009, 2010 and 2011, rides for the Poole Pirates.
