Ronald Teneycke was found not guilty on three counts of sexual assault for an alleged incident in a remote area near Okanagan Falls two summers ago.

In Penticton Supreme Court Friday Justice James Williams acquitted Teneycke of sexually assaulting a 44-year-old woman at an abandoned pump house on July 31, 2011.

Williams said in his decision that both Teneycke and the alleged victim lied in their police statements and during their court testimonies.

Although Williams told court that he “strongly suspects” the incident was “non-consensual,” the Crown was unable to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Outside the courthouse afterwards Teneycke said he felt, “vindicated” about the acquittal.

“I spent 15 months in jail for something I didn’t do, you know,” he said. “How would you feel?”

The woman alleged that Teneycke had picked her up near the Penticton Regional Airport in the afternoon and took her to Keremeos so she could buy some cocaine. They then drove the Fairview-Cawston Road to Oliver and then headed north toward OK Falls where the woman claims he took her to the abandoned shed where he assaulted her with a homemade sex toy.

Teneycke said he feels bad for the woman but called her a “crackhead” and added, “crackheads take advantage of things.” He also blamed the media for the 15 months he spent behind bars for a crime he says he didn’t commit.

He doesn’t regret picking the woman up that day.

 “I don’t regret trying to help someone when they’re in need and when I see somebody staggering on the road and the traffic’s flying by,” said Teneycke. “I don’t regret that one bit.”

Williams said both the woman’s and Teneycke’s testimonies were questionable and unreliable.

Forensic evidence found Teneycke’s DNA on the inside of a towel that was wrapped around the sex toy and a doctor’s examination revealed tears to her vaginal wall. This could have been due to rough fondling of the area but not necessarily point to non-consensual action, he said.

However Williams also said he found the woman’s description of the events “problematic” noting there were several details she was unable to recall about the incident which could have been a result of the mixture of alcohol, cocaine and prescription drugs.

He also noted she admitted being flirtatious with Teneycke because she wanted him to take her to where she could get money and find some cocaine.

He stopped short of calling some of evidence untruthful but said he was reserved on its reliability.

Similarly, Williams said much of Teneycke’s evidence given in court of the alleged sexual assault could have been fabricated even adding that it likely was but emphasized it still wasn’t sufficient to find Teneycke guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

One charge of sexual of sexual assault with a weapon and one charge of unlawful confinement were also dropped.

Katherine Richards, who is Teneycke’s former girlfriend and Terry Berg, Teneycke’s aunt spoke to the media after the decision.

“I’m very happy about it,” said Berg. “He has another chance to hopefully do something really good with his life.”

Richards said she feels badly for Teneycke and for the alleged victim.

“This has been hard on everyone involved,” she said. “Every life has changed.”

Teneycke became the focus of a community uproar in 2007 when he moved back to his hometown of Oliver after being released from federal prison in Saskatchewan. He had served his full eight-year sentence for a violent sexual assault near OK Falls in 1993 and a further four years for threatening to kill a parole officer.