Oritse Williams (pictured above) has been cleared by a jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court
Former JLS singer Oritse Williams has been cleared of raping a woman at a hotel.
The 32-year-old singer was accused of launching a sex attack on a 20-year-old tattoo artist, after plying her and two pals with booze on December 2, 2016.
Friend and tour manager Jamien Nagadhana, also 32, was also charged with sexual touching and assault by penetration of the same woman at the pair’s room in Wolverhampton’s Ramada Hotel.
But a jury of eight women and four men took two hours and 17 minutes to find Williams and Nagadhana not guilty of all charges following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
Friends of the star have now come out in support of Mr Williams, saying he had faced ‘three years of hell’.
Fellow JLS star Marvin Humes said: ‘Cleared..Not Guilty! Finally my brother @oritsemusic three years of hell is over! No-one will ever know or imagine what he’s been through..I’m just so proud of the way he conducted himself during what has been the most awful time..he is so strong and I know he can’t wait to start his life again now..We love you O.’
Tour manager Jamien Nagadhana (pictured right) was also charged with sexual touching and assault by penetration while at the Ramada Park Hall hotel (left) and was today found not guilty
Mr Williams’ former band mate Marvin Humes took to Instagram to state that his ‘three years of hell’ was over
This was followed by Marvin’s wife Rochelle, who posted a picture of the pair together on Instagram and said: ‘This here is our brother, one of the kindest, most gentle, thoughtful men I know. Today he was cleared NOT guilty after 3 years of absolute hell.
She added: I’m so proud of how you have conducted yourself throughout this time. Reesh we love you so much and writing this crying so many happy tears, it’s over.’
After the not guilty verdict was delivered, Williams breathed a sigh of relief in the dock when the jury recorded their verdict.
Nagadhana nodded when he heard the second of his not guilty verdicts.
Judge Michael Challinor told the pair: ‘The defendants can be discharged.
‘You have been found not guilty. That brings the matter to a conclusion. You may leave the dock.’
The court previously heard the alleged victim and two friends had queued to meet the pop star to have their picture taken ‘for a joke’ after he had performed at the city’s Gorgeous nightclub.
Williams told one of the girls she ‘should be a Victoria Secret model’ before he gave them free alcohol and they spent the the night ‘dancing and mucking about’ in the VIP area.
The victim could be seen bouncing on Williams’ lap and snogging a female pal as they downed shots in the nightclub.
Williams was captured on CCTV slapping the 20-year-old fan’s bottom as they danced together hours before the sexual encounter.
The former JLS star was found not guilty. The band from left to right: Jonathan Gill, Aston Merrygold, Oritse Williams, Marvin Humes
At the end of the evening, one of the women went home in a taxi while the two remaining friends went back to the city’s Ramada Hotel with Williams.
The girls ended up in the room that the former JLS singer was sharing with Nagadhana and at one point started cuddling on the bed, jurors were told.
Williams was accused of taking this opportunity to try and have sex with one of the girls, who were described by hotel staff as looking ‘spaced out and zombified’.
Both women ran out into the hotel corridor. One of them returned to the room as she had lost her phone, and it was at this point that Williams was alleged to have raped her.
But he insisted she said she wanted to spend the night with him, and when he asked her if he should get a condom, she smiled and said ‘yes’.
The former JLS star and his manager had met the woman at the Gorgous nightclub (pictured above)
Nagadhana was accused of joining in while Williams was having intercourse with her.
But he claimed he only went over to try to initiate a threesome as he believed Williams was struggling to perform.
Nagadhana said he touched her in the vaginal area but stopped when it became clear neither of them was enjoying it, and went back to the single bed.
The victim said she told the pair to ‘p**s off’ and ‘f**k off’ but had not been as ‘fighty’ as she could have been before she ran from the room crying after several minutes.
Hotel staff put the woman into a room so she could calm down, where she curled up in a ball and then said she had been sexually attacked. Police were called and both Williams and Nagadhana were arrested.
David Bentley, defending Nagadhana, previously told the court: ‘There may be many reasons why a person makes false allegations.
‘But we say these are false allegations levelled at these two men. Whatever her reasons for saying the things she has said, it is not for the defendants to say why that is.
‘The victim was happy to be in the room with these two men and consented to what took place in that room.
‘When asked by officers what happened, the victim said ‘nothing’ and then ‘oh god, nothing bad’.
‘Is that her conscience? Things were taken out of her hands.
‘She then says ‘they were all great guys’.
JLS shot to fame on X Factor in 2008 after finishing runners-up to Alexandra Burke and went on to sell over ten million records. Williams set up a music firm and sang solo under stage name OWS after the band split in 2013.