The State has withdrawn a case against two men accused of raping a woman in Tipperary two years ago. The men had pleaded not guilty to the charges. A nolle prosequi (or plaintiff's relinquishment of suit) was entered at the Central Criminal Court yesterday.
Mrs Justice McGuinness accepted the State's application to withdraw the case from the jury and discharged both men.
Earlier, a jury had been sworn in after the defendants, aged 35 and 27, pleaded not guilty to raping the 27-year-old woman on two occasions in Tipperary on July 5th, 1994.
After the jury was picked, Mr George Birmingham, prosecuting, asked for time to allow counsel on both sides to consider new information which had come to light. When the case resumed, the State applied for the nolle prosequi.