Reason explained why ‘big girl’ weighing 24-stone cleared of forcing man to have sex did not face rape charge during trial

College student Imogen Brooke burst into tears in the dock and thanked jurors after they took just one hour to find her not guilty last week.

Miss Brooke had been accused of pinning her alleged victim down, having sex with him against his will and giving him a lovebite.

The defendant denied the offence and said she was too 'lazy' to have been on top for 15 minutes during the incident - with jurors agreeing.

She was found not guilty of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent following a four day trial.

Miss Brooke also claimed she wouldn't have been able to tug him over onto his back in bed as he had said, because 'I'm not Superwoman' and told a jury she couldn't have done the two things at once as 'I can't multitask'.

She had denied the alleged attack which the man - who cannot be named for legal reasons – said occurred at her flat in Southampton.

Miss Brooke told Southampton Crown Court that she is conscious of her weight, meaning she wouldn't have engaged in that sexual position.

She said: ‘No, I'm not comfortable with my body, because I'm bigger than most people.

‘I'm a big girl and I'm not confident of my weight, or any part of my body.’

The jury heard that Miss Brooke going on top during sex would be logistically challenging, as her size has an impact.

She continued: ‘I weigh 22 stone now but at the time I weighed 24 stone.

‘For me to be on top, I have to get on, balance to the side and lift up my belly and put in the penis – but I would (normally) ask them to.

‘But I can't, I don't like my body.’

Ms Audrey Archer, defending, asked whether she had tugged at the man's arm to get him to lie on his back in the lead up to the alleged assault.

She replied: ‘No – I'm not Superwoman.’

When asked if it was true she had been on top for the alleged period of 15 minutes, Miss Brooke said: ‘No, I wouldn't.

‘No, 15 minutes on top, I wouldn't - I'm very lazy. I had no sex on top for any duration.’

Of the lovebite she told the court she couldn't have done that, 'because I can't multitask'.

No rape charge

Miss Brooke did not face a rape charge because in most circumstances this does not apply to women.

Crown Prosecution Service information on the matter states: ‘A rape is when a person uses their penis without consent to penetrate the vagina, mouth, or anus of another person.

‘Legally, a person without a penis cannot commit rape, but a female may be guilty of rape if they assist a male perpetrator in an attack.’

The charge of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent was created, in part, to establish an offence equivalent to rape that could be committed by a woman.