Ched Evans wins £800,000 payout from defence lawyers

CHED EVANS has agreed a payout worth nearly £800,000 after taking legal action against the lawyers who defended him in his first rape trial.

The Welsh footballer was convicted of raping a 19-year-old woman at a Premier Inn near Rhyl, North Wales, in 2011, and served two and a half years in prison. His conviction was quashed in 2016 and he was found not guilty at a re-trial. The 30-year-old had planned to take court action against the law firm Brabners, which mounted the unsuccessful defence at the Caernarfon Crown Court trial in 2012.

It is understood he has now agreed to settle the matter out of court and will receive a payment in the region of £800,000.

A spokesman for Brabners said: “We are glad that Ched Evans has agreed not to pursue this case, which we believe was entirely without merit. Brabners put forward a strong defence of Mr Evans’s claim following a thorough process and we were prepared to vigorously defend our handling of the case.”

Evans is currently attempting to rekindle his career in League One, where he is on loan at Fleetwood Town from Sheffield United.

He had been a rising star at the Yorkshire club when the allegations were first made, leading to his arrest on the grounds the woman with whom he had sex was too drunk to consent.

The former Wales international always maintained his innocence and the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction in 2016.

It took a jury at Cardiff Crown Court under three hours to clear him at the second trial several months later, during which the unusual step was taken to allow evidence from other sexual partners of his accuser.

Evans has since gone on to score 15 goals in 35 appearances for Fleetwood Town, including two during their most recent game on Saturday.

His representatives could not be reached for comment.