THE jury in the case of a young man charged with sexually abusing a girl and attempting to rape her has been discharged.

After seven and a half hours in retirement, the jury foreman told Judge Simon Hickey they had been unable to agree verdicts on any of the 14 counts against Ashley Gordon Thomas.

The 24-year-old from Ascot Way, Acomb, denies three charges of attempted rape, four of sexual assault of a child, three of engaging in sexual activity in front of a child, two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and two of sexual activity with a child.

Judge Hickey discharged the jury at York Crown Court and gave the prosecution seven days to decide if there will be a retrial.

Thomas was released on bail on condition he doesn’t contact the girl in any way or have unsupervised contact with any child under 16.

He showed no reaction as the jury foreman announced that the eight men and four women had been unable to reach any verdict on which at least 10 of them agreed.

The trial lasted six days.