A teenage drama student who was accused of rape after having sex with a woman following a drunken night out has been cleared by a jury.
Jack Green, 19, who is studying at one of Britain's most prestigious drama schools, endured a 15-month legal ordeal after the woman claimed he forced himself on her at his student flat following an outing.
She texted Green saying: "I didn't want to do it - I said 'no' a million times," and he replied: "Just forget about it, it's done, it's in the past, leave it. I'd go to jail, I'd rather die. I'm dead. I'm going to jump."
He was arrested shortly afterwards at his room at the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester when officers found him having a panic attack on the floor.
The woman - who cannot be named - later claimed Green locked the door of his room, grabbed her by the throat and pushed her down on his bed before having sex with her.
But Green denied wrongdoing claiming the woman was "over-exaggerating", and was cleared after jurors took two hours and 21 minutes to reach their unanimous verdict.
Green, from Abertillery, in Monmouthshire, South Wales, admitted having sex with the woman and sending the texts but said he was upset as he realised he had been unfaithful towards his girlfriend, Manchester Crown Court heard.
In his police interview Green said: "I didn't mean for it to get that out of hand but it just came over me. When you're drunk you're paranoid and you're like 'oh no I'm going to end up splitting up with my girlfriend'.
"I was apologetic because that's not usually like me, that's not how I usually act. I think it was the alcohol I think it was the moment all of those things built up between me and her. I feel really, really bad now about what's happened and feel if I drunk a little less none of this would have happened.
"I did start overthinking things, I started thinking what's going to happen with my girlfriend, she's probably not going to be with me and I was getting really upset. I did try to hurt myself, I was like 'oh s**t' it was just one of those things.
"I was contemplating life because I don't know where I would be without my girlfriend and I still don't know how I'm going to cope without her. I just wanted to go to sleep, I wanted to not hear about it again. It was one of those situations where I don't want it to crop up, just forget it happened.
"She's over-exaggerating, she didn't say no a million times, she didn't. I thought she would have had a bit of decency, she's going to make me out to be the worst person."
He added: "I know how bad it looks on me and obviously I didn't want it to get this advanced, I hope the fact I could go to jail she would be like 'oh ok it was both our faults'.
"It was going in the direction where I thought 'she's up for it' I didn't have any clear indication she didn't want it.
"If anything, I was disappointed because I thought she had a bit more respect for me and what this could lead to."
"I was not aware she said no even if she said it. There was no indication she wanted me to stop until she said 'Jack, no' she proper looked me in the eyes, I didn't touch her in any violent way."
The night out occurred on September 13 last year after Green, who had previously worked as a children's entertainer where he dressed as Bob the Builder, enrolled on a musical theatre course at the school where former students include Eastenders and Footballers Wives actress Zoe Lucker, plus Coronation Street stars Tracy Shaw and Cherry Lee Houston and Kim Tiddy of Hollyoaks and The Bill.
Green, the woman and others drank vodka together before going to a club in Manchester.
Later it was claimed the pair were left alone together and she accused him of raping her.
The encounter ended when friends banged on his door. She told a friend when she went back to her student accommodation and police were alerted.
But Green told the hearing: "She looked like she was enjoying it, I got the impression she was enjoying it. There came a point where she said 'no stop' at that point I realised and I thought 'this is extremely wrong' we both had partners.
"I'm not the type of person to cheat on someone. I offered to stay and talk with her about it but she just started to cry. I realised I had just cheated on my partner and in no way or sense is that right, it's not the person I am, I still feel bad for cheating at all to this day.
"After the complainant left I had a bit of time with myself to think about what happened. I got really upset with myself because it's not what I do - I think cheating is wrong."