Landscape gardener cleared of raping woman at Bourne home

A landscape gardener was today cleared of raping a woman in her Bourne home after telling a jury he only attended at the property to provide a quote.

Jason Coe, 49, of Deeping St James Road, Northborough, had pleaded not guilty to a single charge of rape which was alleged to have occurred on November 29, 2021.

Mr Coe also denied a second offence of assault by penetration against the same complainant, who can not be named, on the same date.

The prosecution had alleged both incidents occurred in the hallway of the woman's home after Mr Coe attended at the property on the afternoon of Monday, November 29, 2021.

But a jury at Lincoln Crown Court took six hours to find Mr Coe not guilty of both offences after a two week trial.

Giving evidence during the trial Mr Coe insisted that he only attended at the property after being asked to provide a quote for some fencing a week earlier.

Mr Coe said he went to the address after finishing his day's work at another property in Bourne and said there was no sexual contact with the woman.

In the witness box Mr Coe said the woman "looked glazed" when she answered the door.

"She was looking through me," Mr Coe explained.

"I said 'it's Jason come to do the fence quote.' She said 'that's right, I thought you'd forgot.' "

"We went straight down the hallway," Mr Coe said. "During that walk she asked if I wanted a coffee and I said 'yes please.' "

Mr Coe said they had the coffee in the kitchen.

"We briefly spoke about the fence and why she wanted the fence," Mr Coe added. "She said she did not get on with her neighbours."

Mr Coe said the woman then showed him a video on her phone of the neighbours being abusive.

"I said 'you need to contact the police.' "

The prosecution alleged Mr Coe forced himself on the woman in her hallway.

But Mr Coe denied there was any physical contact between them and said he walked straight out of the front door and then to the rear of the property to complete the quote.

Mr Coe was asked how long he spent at the property and replied: "Ten minutes, I think in my interview I said 10 to 12 minutes."