Former Welsh international Ched Evans has won an appeal against his conviction for rape and faces a new trial.

The ex-Sheffield United footballer spent two-and-a-half years in jail after he was convicted in 2012 of raping a 19-year-old in a hotel in Wales.

Evans, 27, was released from jail in 2014 after serving half of his five-year term. He has not been signed by a new club since his release from prison.

Yesterday, Evans, who was linked with a move to Maltese champions Hibernians during the 2015 January transfer window, was present in the London courtroom with partner Natasha Massey by his side to hear the result of his conviction challenge.

Lady Justice Hallett, Mr Justice Flaux and Sir David Maddison had heard submissions over two days from Kieran Vaughan QC, for Evans, and from Eleanor Laws QC, for the Crown.

Evans, now 27, was convicted in April 2012. He was found guilty at Caernarfon Crown Court of raping the woman at a hotel in Rhyl, north Wales.

His conviction was referred to the Court of Appeal for review by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates possible miscarriages of justice.

Lady Justice Hallett, announcing the court’s decision, said the judges had heard “fresh evidence” during the appeal hearing on March 22 and 23.

She said: “In summary, we have concluded that we must allow the appeal and that it is in the interests of justice to order a retrial.”

The court quashed Evans’s conviction and declared: “The appellant will be retried on the allegation of rape.”

In a statement read by a lawyer outside the court, Evans was described as being “extremely grateful” to the appeal judges for quashing his conviction.

It was made clear that no further statement would be made “as it is acknowledged by Mr Evans that the legal process has not reached a final conclusion”.

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