Kenyan Akim Okumu was yesterday cleared of raping two 13-year-old girls at a party in Oxford.

But he was immediately re-arrested after his acquittal on charges of being an illegal immigrant, and taken to Heathrow Airport where he faces deportation.

The Oxford Crown Court jury took five hours to reach 'not guilty' verdicts on two rape charges against Okumu, 24, of Hillside, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire.

During his defence Mr Okumu told a jury the girls had willingly taken part in group sex with him and three other men. He said: "Everybody was doing what was done of their own free will."

Giving evidence through a video link the girls, one of whom was on the run from a children's home, said they met Mr Okumu and three of his friends in Cowley in the early hours of May 29 and agreed to go with them to a house.

The defence did not dispute that Mr Okumu had intercourse with the girls and the issue before the jury was one of consent.

Mr Okumu described how they all had some drinks and one of the girls agreed to having sex with him. His friends and the other girl all joined in. He said: "We were all having group sex, caressing one another, it was going on between all of us."

Later, there was an argument in the house.

He said: "That is when I decided to throw them out of the house. One of the girls told me she only had to make a telephone call and I would be dead."

Story date: Saturday 11 December

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