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AN ACTING Lieutenant Colonel who had his life "turned upside down" when he was falsely accused of sexually assaulting a transgender woman today walked free from court.

Samuel Hughes, 38, went to the bar in the Ubiquitous Chip, in Glasgow's Ashton Lane on November 14, 2014, after he had been on a date.

He ended up speaking to the woman, who later accused him of sexual assault, and her then-girlfriend.

Lawyers for the high-ranking officer are now looking to have the woman prosecuted for perjury .

Mr Hughes described how the female was joking with him for being "military", and that she told him to be "more flamboyant" and touched his chest area.

He told the court that in a "slightly camp" manner, he touched her back again on the chest area, and said "oh stop it".

The officer denied touching her breast in the west end pub, as was alleged.

Yesterday sheriff David Young QC found Mr Hughes not guilty of sexually assaulting the woman.

He accepted Mr Hughes' account that he mimicked the woman's actions towards him.

In a statement released by his lawyer Aamer Anwar, Mr Hughes said: "I always try to live my life by the Army's code of honour and respect, but over a year ago this person almost destroyed my life with this hideous and false allegation.

"Whilst she had the benefit of anonymity, my life was turned upside down and all that I had worked for put at risk."

I am grateful to my lawyers and to the army for their support. I am just relieved that justice has finally been done."

Mr Anwar said: "I am instructed to write to the Crown to raise the serious allegation of perjury with regards to the complainer."

During the trial the transgender woman - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - claimed Hughes did touch her breast.

She also alleged he made a number of transphobic remarks but he was cleared of that charge during his trial.

In evidence Mr Hughes said: "The breast did not occur to me at all."

He explained to the court that the woman told him that she had gone through a change, from male to female, and had spent £40,000 to look the way she did.

Mr Hughes was asked what happened in the pub that evening and said that there was "slight mocking" of him for being "quite military".

Asked what the woman said to him, Mr Hughes told the sheriff: "'Perhaps you could be a bit more flamboyant like me' and leant over to me and as I recall touched me here (on his chest) at that time."

Defence counsel Sarah Livingstone asked: "What did you do?"

Mr Hughes replied: "In a similar jokey way, as I am also making my way past to go to the toilet I repeated what she had done to me and said 'oh stop it' in a similarly flamboyant way."

Miss Livingstone asked: "Slightly camp?" and he replied: "Slightly camp."

He was asked if there was anything he did that he considered to be sexual and said "no".

The court was told he "mimicked" what she did to him.

(Image: Daily Record)

The court heard days later he was advised the police would want to speak to him, and contacted them and made arrangements to talk to them.

He fought back tears when his defence counsel asked how the allegation has affected him.

He said: "On an emotional side I have had to explain to colleagues, friends and also the structure of the army which deal with promotions - which was happening at that time - and say what had happened."

My integrity has been unfairly called in to question and that makes me very angry."

Most of all I have had to go and explain to my parents what had happened.

"Under cross-examination by procurator fiscal depute Stuart Fauré he denied that the touch was a "crude medical examination".

It was put to him: "You saw her as a person of ridicule" but Mr Hughes said: "No, that's not true.

Mr Hughes said: "I did not touch her breast in my opinion."

The prosecutor said: "But you did touch her chest" and he answered: "It was in the chest area.

"In earlier evidence the former partner of the female gave evidence at court, but made it clear that she did no want to be there

The 51-year-old said she was scared of her ex partner and claimed she was "coerced" into giving a statement.

She said: "My statement, which I gave to the police - I was very very frighted and I was coerced and I was coached by (ex partner).

"The woman claimed her former girlfriend "told her the key words" and that because of the domestic situation she went along with it.

The witness added: "She said she could make some money out of it."