THERE were emotional scenes at Gloucester Crown Court today when a 21-year-old man was cleared of sexually assaulting his own twin brother.

After a retirement of more than five and a half hours, a jury acquitted the man, who cannot be named, of having sexual activity with his twin at their home in the Dursley area when they were about 14-years-old.

When the jury foreman announced the verdict, the defendant, smartly dressed in suit and tie, sat forward sobbing with relief. There were gasps of delight from friends and relatives in the public gallery.

Judge Michael Cullum discharged the weeping defendant and made a defendant's costs order in his favour.

In the corridor outside court the defendant was hugged repeatedly by his supporters.

His twin brother had alleged that when they were on a family holiday together in Devon in 2009/10 he had forced him to have oral sex.

The twin also alleged that his brother generally bullied, beat and belittled him, treating him like a servant.

But although the defendant accepted that the oral sex incident occurred he said it was his twin who initiated it.

The jury, reduced to 11 people because one fell ill during the trial, returned the not guilty verdict after two days in retirement.