A MORBIDLY obese man who called himself a "big cuddly bear" on a dating app has been cleared of date rape after gruelling four-day trial.

Christopher Schubert, 44, who said he was "looking for his mate" on Match.com broke down in tears before walking free from Oxford Crown Court.

Christopher Schubert, 44, has been cleared of raping a woman he met online Credit: Hyde News & Pictures Ltd

He was rejected by his alleged victim because he was too fat, a jury heard Credit: Hyde News & Pictures Ltd

Mr Schubert convinced the jury that the sexual encounter between himself and a woman he had been on a date with was consensual and added that she "enjoyed" the intimacy.

During the hearing prosecutors had alleged that Mr Schubert met his alleged "victim" on the dating site Match.com and arranged to go to her home in Oxford.

The jury was told that the woman, who was single following the end of a relationship, was surprised by Mr Schubert's large build and claimed the two of them could not fit in her bed.

When he arrived, obviously I knew straight away that he didn't look like he did in his profile picture.

However, she invited him in for a chat over a cup of coffee.

The complainant, a separated mother, described Mr Schubert as “morbidly obese” when she attended a police station to allege that he sexually assaulted and raped her.

She told police: "Given his size, we would not have fitted comfortably in the same bed.

"There is personal space and there is personal space.

"Even if I had a king size bed... I’d have no personal space at all. I’d have nowhere to go.

“There had already been a conversation. He had invited me over to his and he had a king size bed.

"I said to him that if I felt comfortable I’d sleep in a king size bed, but I’d have my personal space.

“When he arrived and I saw his size I just thought: ‘There is absolutely no way.'

"I said I did not know he was as big as what he was. Literally.



CLEARED OF RAPE

She had met the bachelor through Match.com, where he described himself as a “big cuddly bear looking for his mate”, the court heard.

When they arranged for Mr Schubert to visit her home in Oxford on January 30 last year, the woman had been full of hope at the prospect of meeting someone and starting a new relationship, it was alleged.

Those hopes were shattered when she opened the door and saw that Mr Schubert of St Neots, Cambridgeshire, was much larger than the pictures he had uploaded to his dating profile made him appear, the jury heard the woman explain in her police interview.

Even if I had a king size bed... I’d have no personal space at all. I’d have nowhere to go.

During the interview where she wept while describing the rape offences, told officers: “When he arrived, obviously I knew straight away that he didn't look like he did in his profile picture.

“To be honest with you, I thought: ‘s***, you’re huge. You’re absolutely huge'," she told the police.

“I had already said we were not going to have sex. You end up getting to know someone over a cup of tea and I invited him in to be sociable. I thought he was going to have a cup of tea and chat,” the woman had alleged.

Later in the trial, Mr Schubert took to the witness box to profess his innocence. He said that the woman "enjoyed" the intimacy and showed no signs she was not consenting.

Jurors took four hours and four minutes to find clear him of two counts of rape and two counts of assault by penetration.

He was cleared of two charges of rape and two counts of assault by penetration and after the verdicts were given Mr Schubert broke down in tears and sobbed loudly.

Judge Nigel Daly told jurors: "As you can see trials with allegations such as these are very emotional affairs.

"It is something which is very difficult to do, we greatly appreciate you have come to this court as members of the public to try other members of the public. If you didn't do that then the criminal justice system simply could not continue."

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