Jurors fail to reach decision in case of teenage rapist on trial for sex attack

JURORS have failed to reach a verdict on a teenage rapist who was accused of sexually assaulting a second alleged victim.

Thomas Ball (19), who has already admitted two counts of rape in connection with an attack in Bramley in 2018, was accused of forcing himself on another victim when he was aged 14 or 15.

He was on trial at Leeds Crown Court where the jury were told that Ball had tried to emotionally blackmail the alleged second victim into dropping her complaint against him.

Jurors had retired to consider their verdicts on Tuesday, following a five-day trial, but they had failed to reach a verdict on the rape charge by this afternoon.

The Crown Prosecution Service has been given a week to decide whether or not to pursue a retrial.

Jurors found Ball guilty of a separate charge against the second victim, the details of which cannot be reported for legal reasons.

Ball, of Newhall Lane, Carr, was released on bail and will appear at court next Thursday, when a decision will be made about a retrial.