Ex-Manchester City footballer George Glendon, 22, who was accused of raping a heavily drunk young woman has been cleared by a jury at Grimsby Crown Court on Friday

An ex-Manchester City and England Youth footballer accused of raping a heavily drunk young woman has been cleared by a jury in Grimsby.

The prosecution claimed that George Glendon, 22, was capable of 'predatory' sexual behaviour but the defence claimed the woman gave 'unreliable' evidence.

It is the latest in a series of rape cases which have ended in a not guilty verdict or have collapsed.

Mr Glendon was cleared by a jury of three men and nine women who took just over 30-minutes to reach their verdict.

The defence barrister claimed that the prosecution case was 'a million miles away' from proving him guilty.

Mr Glendon of Cheadle, Cheshire, denied raping the woman on February 21, 2016.

In his evidence, Mr Glendon said the woman had been 'quite drunk' but denied she was 'extremely drunk' and said their later sexual encounter had lasted 'around five seconds'.

And he denied waiting outside the Lite House club in Cleethorpes so he could pick up the girl for sex.

Instead he said he had helped the woman because he was concerned about her safety.

The prosecution at Grimsby Crown Court claimed that the woman was so 'falling over drunk' that she was 'incapable of stringing a sentence together'.

The 19-year-old woman could not remember what happened to her apart from that she ended up in a man's bedroom with her dress off.

In his evidence, Mr Glendon said the woman had been 'quite drunk' but denied she was 'extremely drunk' and said their later sexual encounter had lasted 'around five seconds'

Mr Glendon, now a Fleetwood Town player, told the court: 'I went upstairs. She went upstairs. She went up before me.

'I get up the stairs and she is in the room where I was meant to be staying. She was in the bed. She was under the covers.

'I seen her dress on the floor. She had already taken it off before I got in. I didn't help.'

'She was encouraging it. She took the first move by kissing me and I was kissing her back. Her body was moving.

'She seemed like she was enjoying it. She tries to get on top of me while I carry on kissing. She pulled my jeans down so they are off.'

He claimed they had sex at her instigation. 'I was enjoying it,' he said. 'I was aroused.'

But he claimed the sex lasted only for 'around five seconds'.

The Grimsby woman, now 21, could remember very little of what happened, the court heard.

Defence barrister Judy Khan QC told the court that Mr Glendon's arrest was 'the start of a nightmare for him'.

She urged the jury: 'You can end the nightmare for him now by finding him not guilty.'

Despite being accused of sexually predatory behaviour, Glendon denied waiting outside the Lite House club in Cleethorpes so he could pick up the girl for sex (pictured)

Prior to Mr Glendon's verdict on Friday, a host of senior figures within the football industry rushed to speak on his behalf in court.

An ex-girlfriend, the director of football at Glasgow club Rangers and a former senior police officer all gave glowing comments about the young footballer's character during his rape trial.

Rangers director Mark Allen, who knew George Glendon while running an academy at Manchester City, hailed the player's 'exemplary behaviour' and 'good manners'.

Mr Allen said in a statement heard at Grimsby Crown Court that, before going to the Scottish club, he was director of an academy at Manchester City and worked with Mr Glendon, who went on to represent the under-23 side and the first-team squad.

He described Mr Glendon as a 'great person' and, because of this, it was possible for him to stay with the club for a long time.

Prior to George Glendon's verdict on Friday, a host of senior figures within the football industry rushed to speak on his behalf in court. An ex-girlfriend, the director of football at Glasgow club Rangers and a former senior police officer all gave glowing comments about the young footballer's character during his rape trial

Mr Glendon came from an excellent family and his father, Kevin, was an ex-professional player. Mr Glendon exhibited 'exemplary behaviour' at the time, had 'good manners' and was always respectful to others, said Mr Allen.

At Manchester City, his 'attitude did not waver one bit', he supported his team mates and was 'always an example to others'. He was always willing to support club initiatives on behalf of the academy. His abilities as a player were always matched by his attributes as a person, said Mr Allen.

Mr Glendon remained 'honest to his profession and committed at all times'. Mr Allen said: 'I can't speak highly enough of him.'

Mr Glendon was one of the 'most talented, kind and considerate people' he came across during his time at Manchester City.

Retired police officer Michael Waring, a neighbour of Mr Glendon's, said the footballer was 'lovely, well-mannered, polite and considerate'. He always had time for people and would always have a chat if he saw you in the street.

CPS bungles, police sitting on evidence and flimsy cases: How other high-profile rape trials have ended in acquittals

Mr Glendon’s case is the latest in a string of recent rape trials where the defendants have walked free after not guilty verdicts or the case collapsing because of key pieces of evidence being overlooked or withheld.

In December, Isaac Itiary, 25, was released from prison after it emerged that his 15-year-old alleged victim routinely posed as a 19-year-old and lied about her age.

While in a similar case the week before, Liam Allan's rape trial collapsed because police failed to disclose damning text messages that showed his lover fantasised about being raped and asked Mr Allan, 22, for casual sex after she said she was attacked.

Isaac Itiary (left), 24, was remanded in jail for four months after being charged with raping a child under 16 - but has been freed after texts showing his evidence were not released by police. Liam Allan (right) rape trial collapsed because police failed to disclose damning text messages that showed his lover fantasised about being raped

Both cases were led by Met Detective Constable Mark Azariah who has not been suspended but is reportedly off active investigations while Scotland Yard reviews 30 cases approaching trial.

Meanwhile, a judge blasted police and prosecutors last week after a man who spent a year behind bars was acquitted of a sex attack due to withheld CCTV evidence.

Mackele Tekleliaimanot escaped a conviction after it emerged mid-way through his trial that police had failed to hand over crucial footage of him and his alleged victim.

Both cases were led by Met Detective Constable Mark Azariah who has not been suspended but is reportedly off active investigations while Scotland Yard reviews 30 cases approaching trial

It is the latest sex attack case to collapse due to failures by police to hand over evidence which showed the suspect to be innocent.

The 29-year-old, who had no previous offences, was accused of pouncing on the drunken woman after she fell asleep on the Tube, dragging her into a park and attempting to rape her against a tree. He claimed their sexual encounter had been consensual.

But mid-way through his trial at the Old Bailey it emerged police had failed to hand over CCTV showing the alleged victim walking hand-in-hand with the suspect in a 'happy frame of mind' as the pair strolled to the park – having travelled together for at least two hours before the alleged attack.

The footage was not mentioned on disclosure schedules that are meant to be reviewed by the CPS well ahead of trial.

The CPS has come under increasing pressure for rape cases collapsing due to new evidence coming to light at the last minute.

An MP's aide cleared of rape in December said he could have been wrongly convicted if not for crucial evidence finally disclosed just days before his trial.

Mackele Tekleliaimanot (left), 29, escaped a conviction after it emerged mid-way through his trial that police had failed to hand over crucial footage of him and his alleged victim. Samuel Armstrong (right), 24, was cleared of rape in December said he could have been wrongly convicted if not for crucial evidence finally disclosed just days before his trial

Samuel Armstrong, 24, was accused of abusing his position to attack a young woman when she fell asleep in his boss's Westminster office after a night drinking in Parliament.

His defence team is understood to have waited up to nine months for phone and medical records which his accuser initially refused to hand over to police.

In messages eventually recovered from her phone, she said she had contacted a journalist just hours after the incident to secure a 'sympathetic' write-up, while her medical notes revealed details of a history of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.