Church deacon cleared of rape

Mr Brokenshire was a deacon at Grange Baptist Church

A jury has cleared a church deacon of raping a teenage girl.

Leslie Brokenshire, 42, broke down in tears in the dock at Cardiff Crown Court as the jury found him not guilty of five charges of rape.

The court had been told that Mr Brokenshire met the teenager at Grange Baptist Church youth club in Grangetown, Cardiff.

He denied accusations that he subsequently had sex with the girl - now 16 - at his home, in his car and at his business.

The teenager gave her evidence to the court via video link and told the jury how the defendent first attacked her while she was playing with his daughter.

She alleges it was the first of 50 separate rapes over a period of 10 months.

Jury unanimous

But the jury took two hours to unanimously clear Mr Brokenshire of all the charges.

The father-of-two, who lives in the Pontcanna area of Cardiff, left the court with his wife Jan.

His solicitor Timothy Hackett said: "My client is delighted with the verdict of the jury.

"We would like to thank the jury for giving careful consideration to the evidence in this case and for making a just decision.

"My client has been through a very traumatic period and would not have been able to survive these difficult months while awaiting trial without the love of his wife and family and without his faith.

"My client now wishes to put these matters behind him and to spend time with his family."