A Pembroke man faces a retrial on charges that he seriously sexually assaulted a woman and deprived her of her liberty after a Supreme Court jury yesterday failed to reach a verdict.

The man, who admitted holding a 12-inch knife to the throat of the woman after the alleged attack, was found guilty of possession of an offensive weapon.

Assistant Justice Archibald Warner yesterday remanded the 31-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in custody until this afternoon when a bail hearing will be held.

The nine woman, three man jury, was sent out at 12.10 p.m. yesterday, but returned at 4.45 p.m. to tell the judge it could not reach a verdict on the serious sexual assault and deprivation of liberty charges.

During the trial, the man admitted having sex with the 25-year-old Sandys woman at a spot on Wreck Road, Somerset, in April last year, however he claimed it was consensual.

He changed his story, however, originally telling Police he held the knife to woman's throat before having sex, then saying it was later.

He said in court that he had been drinking heavily and was "emotionally distressed," and had only put the knife at his alleged victim's throat to demonstrate what he wanted to do to another man who had angered him.

Crown counsel Charmaine Smith said the woman, who also cannot be named, was crying throughout the incident and only consented to have sex with him because she was petrified.

But the man's lawyer Larry Scott had suggested she made up the story after having sex because she was embarrassed it had happened.

The defendant will be sentenced on October 4 for possession of the knife, and a date for the retrial on the other charges will be set later.