Tony Blair talks to pupils during his visit to Bournville School and Sixth Form Centre A former college lecturer has been cleared of rape but admitted assaulting the alleged victim twice, intimidating a witness, and making a threat to kill.

Paul Mark Anthony Bristow, (39), clasped his hand to his face in relief when the jury delivered its verdict at Derby Crown Court. His partner ran from the courtroom in tears as he was also acquitted of charges of common assault and sexual assault.

The prosecution had claimed that, following a heated argument, Bristow locked his victim in a bathroom at his former home in Newhall, Staffordshire, before raping her.

She claimed the attack was " extremely painful" and "extremely humiliating", leaving her too " embarrassed and ashamed" to tell anyone until she was assaulted by Bristow almost three years later and forced to go to the police.

Although Bristow was accused of kicking her in the shins as well as punching her in the head, mouth and arms on the night before the alleged rape, several witnesses who visited the house said they were unable to detect any signs of physical injury to the woman.

Andrew Easteal, defending Bristow, centred his case around a series of text messages exchanged between his client and the claimant in June last year, when the pair seemed to engage in "sexual banter" concerning sex toys.

A medical report read to the court confirmed that the woman had suffered injuries compatible with rape, but concluded that the injuries could have been caused by other factors.

Bristow, who now lives in Northfield, Birmingham, had earlier admitted a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm between January 31 and March 1, 2004, and another on June 11 last year, when he throttled the same woman, punched her in the face, stamped on her toes and repeatedly tried to stab her in the eye with a pen.

He also admitted intimidating a witness between July 7 and 11, 2004, as well as making a threat to kill on July 10 last year. Bristow was released on conditional bail and will be sentenced on November 14.