A 67-YEAR-OLD man who had been accused of sexually assaulting a pensioner almost two years ago has been acquitted on all charges.

John Joseph Cox, of Lisdead Road, Muckenagh, Enniskillen, had been charged with two counts of sexually assaulting the woman, who cannot be named to protect her identity, and a further count of unlawfully assaulting her on May 6, 2014.

The defendant had denied the alleged offences and had been due to face a trial in the Crown Court.

However, at a hearing in the case held in Omagh Crown Court on January 22 this year, counsel for the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), Laura Ievers, conceded that they were never going to get the alleged victim in court to give evidence.

A previous hearing had been told that the elderly woman was “sadly unfit” to give evidence or be cross-examined.

Judge Paul Ramsey QC observed that the “appropriate course” of action would be to put the jury in charge and for the prosecution to offer no evidence.

After the members of the jury were led in to the courtroom, the charges were read out as the defendant stood in the dock.

Ms Ievers then told the court that, on behalf of the PPS, it was intended not to offer any evidence.

Following her submission, Judge Ramsey directed the jury to find the defendant not guilty on all three counts.