Mosque rape trial jury sent home

The jury in the case of a former imam accused of the rape and indecent of a 12-year-old girl in a mosque has been sent home for the night.

Manzoor Hussain, 42, of Ashley Road, Bristol, has pleaded not guilty to one charge of rape and four charges of indecent assault on the girl.

On Tuesday, at Exeter Crown Court, Judge Graham Cottle sent the panel home after three hours of deliberations.

The continuing trial was adjourned until 10.30am on Wednesday.

The court has heard the alleged rapes took place between July 1996 and March 1997 at the mosque in Bristol.

The girl who is now 21, has told the jury she was indecently assaulted and raped by Mr Hussain when she attended classes at the mosque to learn the Koran.

Mr Hussain had been the imam at the mosque since 1991.

He has told the jury he did not teach children there after June 1996, when he left the mosque.