Lewis Tappenden, pictured, 24, has been cleared of raping an 18-year-old student he met on a night out in York

A graduate wept as he was cleared of raping a university student who 'changed her mind' during a drunken one-night stand.

Lewis Tappenden, 24, was 'pulled' by the 18-year-old first year on a night out and taken back to her student accommodation for sex.

But the York St John University scholar changed her mind halfway through and later accused him of rape, a court heard.

A jury took less than two hours to clear Mr Tappenden after a five day trial at York Crown Court, and the ordeal left him 'feeling suicidal'.

Outside court his father Rob Tappenden, 51, said: 'We are not happy, it's not a celebration, it's not a victory.

'We have not won anything. We have lost 18 months of our lives really. I never doubted Lewis, but we've had this cloud over us.

'Since Lewis was first arrested it has been a strain for the whole family. I have two daughters the same age as the girl so I understand these things have to be thoroughly investigated.

'But we never doubted Lewis for a moment. If certain questions had been asked 18 months ago we would not be here now.'

The defendant, who broke down in tears at the not guilty verdicts, is currently working in a bar in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

The court heard that the 18 year old was just two weeks into the first year of her course at York St John University when she went out for yet another drunken night out with friends.

Before she met Mr Tappenden at the Drawing Board nightclub in the early hours of October 2, 2015, she had been drinking for six hours and had downed six bottles of Blue WKD, three Sour shots, two vodka Red Bulls and had also been drinking cider.

The court heard she was 'intent on getting a man' after playing drinking games with flat mates in her halls of accommodation earlier in the night.

A friend told the York Crown Court rape trial jury that the complainant had been upset because she wanted a relationship with a male friend back home, but he wasn't interested.

The barman, pictured centre with family outside York Crown Court, was cleared by a jury in less than two hours after they heard he and an 18-year-old woman had a 'drunken one-night stand'

Mr Tappenden's father Rob, right, 51, said the family had 'lost 18 months of their lives' due to the ordeal

The friend said: 'So she was going out to pull someone and bring them back. It sounds bad, but that is what you do.'

Mr Tappenden, a former student at St John University, had been working as a barman in the Royal York Hotel that evening and had headed out for drinks with his girlfriend after his shift.

After walking his girlfriend home he continued drinking with friends at the Stone Roses bar.

By the time he met the complainant he had drunk three pints of Carlsberg, three triple vodka and cokes, and was sipping a single vodka and coke when she started kissing him and asked him back to her flat.

CCTV showed her leading him out of the club by the hand and further footage on their route to her accommodations captured them hand in hand, kissing and smiling.

The court heard once inside her bedroom they undressed and began to have sex.

She told the court she was 'okay with it at first,' but later 'sobered up' and 'something clicked' and she didn't want to have sex anymore and 'froze'.

When Mr Tappenden went to the toilet to be sick she fled the room and woke her flat mates.

She had love bites to her neck and cheek and reddening on her chest area.

Security marched a drunken Mr Tappenden out of the accommodation block. He left his socks and boxer shorts in her bedroom.

The woman then 'changed her mind' and fled the room, later accusing Mr Tappenden, left and right, of rape

Later that day her father picked her up and took her home.

She told her mother what happened and the police became involved. She returned on the Monday to clear her room and dropped out of the university course.

Mr Tappenden was described in court by a friend as 'a gentle, thoughtful, reserved person, who never hurt anyone physically or emotionally.'

Mr Tappenden, who was of previous good character, said the allegations had left him feeling suicidal and 'felt like his life had been ruined.'

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC had told the jury: 'The defence say that everything that took place on that bed was consensual then for some reasons she has fled the room and fabricated the allegation of rape and fabricated the injuries. If that is right your verdict should be not guilty.'

The elder Mr Tappenden, an electrician, also has two daughters aged 24 and 18 and said his youngest was also a student so he 'understood' why the allegation was pursued.