Louis Richardson, the former secretary of Durham University's prestigious Union Society, has been cleared of rape and three counts of sexual assault

The mother of a Durham University student who was yesterday cleared of rape and sexual assault embraced her son outside court as she told him: 'I love you'.

The family of 21-year-old Louis Richardson have described their 15 months of 'absolute hell' as they thanked the jury for 'justice'.

Jurors took less than three hours to clear him of four charges against two different women following a six-day trial at Durham Crown Court.

The history student and former secretary of the university's prestigious Union Society had been accused of raping one woman when she was 'crazy drunk' before sexually assaulting another as she lay ill in bed at a house party.

During the trial, his parents Judy, 48, and bank manager Simon, 51, had held hands as intimate details of their son's sex life were revealed to the court. The student’s grandfather Edwin had also sat through the trial.

Yesterday, a statement read on his parents' behalf said: 'It has been 15 months of absolute hell for the whole family. We are relieved that justice has been done and would like to thank the jury.'

When Mr Richardson was asked to comment, he said: 'I would rather just let it sink in.'

As the verdicts were announced yesterday, he remained motionless.

Mr Richardson, from Jersey, was charged with raping one woman in March 2014 and allegedly assaulting her at a party two months later.

He was also accused of two counts sexual assault on another woman in October 2014.

After the allegations were made, he was suspended from his studies and also forced to step down from his Union Society position.

During the trial, the prosecution presented Mr Richardson as a 'creepy' opportunist who forced himself on two young women who were unable to defend themselves.

The first alleged victim had claimed Richardson raped her following a night out together at a club in Durham. She said he allegedly told her the next morning that she was 'bad in bed' because she was 'unresponsive'.

Outside court after the verdicts were read out, the history student was embraced by his mother Judy (right) who sobbed as she told him: 'I love you'. Yesterday, his parents described their 15 months of 'absolute hell'

The woman alleged that he went on to sexually assault her at a party by pulling down her dress to reveal her breasts to a friend.

But Richardson, who was born in Truro and moved to St Helier when he was four, told the court that he had had consensual sex with the woman on the night of the alleged rape.

He said they slept together often and continued to do so 'very frequently' after the alleged incident.

In the closing statement to the jury, the woman was accused by Philippa McAtasney QC of being the 'queen of mixed messages' and of demeaning 'genuine rape victims'.

The jury heard that the woman, a fellow undergraduate, went on a double date with him and another couple and even cuddled him in bed in the weeks after the incident.

She also flirted with Richardson in a series of text messages, in which she called him a 'sexy menace' and sent him a picture of her breasts, before telling him: 'I'll let you spank me.'

Defending, Ms McAtasney said the woman's behaviour in the aftermath of the alleged rape was not that of someone who had been taken advantage of.

She described the complainant as a 'highly manipulative, dishonest, dangerous young woman' and accused her of inventing the account to 'salve her cheating conscience' because she had a boyfriend at the time of the alleged rape.

Richardson told the court that his alleged victim's boyfriend had posed as her online to accuse him of the sexual assault.

He said he received a Facebook message apparently from the woman saying they couldn't speak to each other any more because she didn't want to 'lose' her boyfriend.

Richardson told a jury he was 'devastated', but replied 'fair enough' and decided it was best to 'take it on the chin'.

However, a more serious message followed, saying: 'I have been doing some thinking. I consider our last time rape. I said no and you did it anyway. I ask you not to contact me again... active immediately.'

Richardson said he then received a text from the woman saying that she had not sent the messages, and adding: 'He wrote it.' Asked what he made of the online conversation, he said it seemed as if the woman's boyfriend was 'intervening'.

He told the court: 'I knew I had not raped her. I knew she knew I had not raped her. I thought it was seeming like a petty threat done by a boyfriend who was probably a bit over-paranoid.'

Richardson said he was 'shocked and devastated' when he was arrested for rape.

Several months later, two university newspapers revealed he had been arrested, and a second woman claimed to police that he had indecently assaulted by stroking her indecently as she lay in bed during a student party.

When confronted about the incident by a friend of the woman in a Facebook exchange, Richardson wrote: 'I must apologise profusely to all parties concerned.'

Richardson, who was debating politics with others in the room at the time, admitted to police he 'probably touched her on the breast', but said the woman – a student at another university – had moved his hand there.

The first alleged victim claimed Richardson had raped her following a night out in Klute nightclub (pictured)

Before the jury considered its verdict, the judge said they must weigh up who has been 'trying to tell you the truth'.

Judge Simon Hickey addressed the jury before sending them out to consider their verdicts, telling them: 'You will have to decide who is telling the truth, or perhaps more accurately, who is trying to tell you the truth.

'Who has been trying to pull the wool over your eyes, or not. That's your assessment, nobody else's, not mine.'

It has been 15 months of absolute hell for the whole family. We are relieved that justice has been done and would like to thank the jury Family of Louis Richardson

The judge said they would have to decide whether the rape complainant was, as the defence described her, a 'highly manipulative, dangerous young woman' or as the prosecution said, was someone with difficulties 'trying to put on a persona she was not', and that 'she is telling the truth'.

Judge Hickey said they must consider whether the second complainant who said she was groped was attempting to support a 'weak' rape allegation, or was a 'young woman who gave a straight-forward account of what happened to her'.

Sending them out to start deliberating, he told the seven men and five women: 'There is no pressure of time on you. Take as long or as short as you wish.'

James Conté from the website accused.me.uk, which supports victims of false allegations, said: ‘Our hearts go out to Louis.