A 24-YEAR-OLD man has been unanimously cleared of raping a woman in an Oxford tower block.

Zelalem Netsanet fought back tears as jurors at Oxford Crown Court delivered their not-guilty verdicts on three counts of rape after deliberating for under an hour yesterday.

The defendant admitted having sex with the woman in Hockmore Tower, Cowley, on April 5, but said it was consensual.

The complainant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was a prostitute who admitted smoking two crack-cocaine pipes on the night of the incident.

Mr Netsanet, of Peregrine Road, Blackbird Leys, said he had no idea the woman was selling sex until she demanded £20 at the end of their encounter. He refused to pay.

During the four-day trial the woman admitted changing her story and accused police of misinterpreting her statement.

She said the whole incident lasted two hours, although CCTV showed her time in the building was just over an hour. Telephone records also appeared to contradict her account that she tried to make calls during a “two to three-minute” break when she said Mr Netsanet went out of sight.

Defence barrister Peter Du Feu said afterwards that justice had been done.