Martyn Coulter was cleared of charges of rape and assault at the High Court in Edinburgh. The police officer was accused of raping and assaulting a woman. He was also charged with raping, sexually assaulting, and assaulting a child under the age of 13 years old.
The jury acquitted him of all charges.
There were issues at trial with the timeline of events. One of the complainers stated that she went to Coulter’s flat on or around the 23rd of September 2013 to celebrate news that he was going on tour with the army. She alleged that he raped her that day.
The woman told the court she could not remember the night due to the time that had passed. Counsel for Mr Coulter, Ian Duguid KC, presented evidence which showed Mr Coulter’s whereabouts around the date alleged. Mr Duguid put it to the complainer that Mr Coulter had not received the news that he would go to Afghanistan in September and in fact had been told in November.
In relation to one of the alleged rapes evidence was heard that it could not have happened as Mr Coulter was in Hampshire for military police training.
The jury heard that Coulter had laughed repeatedly during a police interview regarding the allegations. He explained to the jury that he was in shock at the time.
In addressing the jury Mr Duguid stated: “You are not judging him because he is a police officer. It is the evidence in this case that matters, not anything else,”
Mr Coulter was suspended from policing as a result of the allegations. He was found not guilty of six charges with one charge being found not proven.