A lady who claims she was raped by the lawyer husband of tennis ace Anne Keothavong is a ‘preacher of drama’ who has ‘satisfied herself of her personal fact’, a court docket heard right now.
Andrew Bretherton, 49, is {accused} of raping the girl, who can’t be named for authorized causes, at his flat in Kensington, south west London, in Might 2008.
The girl instructed police she thought she would die throughout the alleged assault.
Bretherton, who married the previous British No 1 tennis star in 2015, denies two counts of rape.
Andrew Bretherton, 49,pictured outdoors Interior London Crown Court docket, is {accused} of raping the girl, who can’t be named for authorized causes, at his flat in Kensington, south west London, in Might 2008
Bretherton, pictured together with his spouse former British tennis primary Anne Keothavong, proper, denies the allegation
He claims the alleged sufferer was consenting.
Throughout cross-examination, his lawyer Sarah Forshaw KC instructed jurors there have been too many inconsistencies within the alleged sufferer’s account for them to ensure that she was telling the reality.
She additionally mentioned the alleged sufferer didn’t ask him to cease in any respect throughout the first alleged assault, though the alleged sufferer says her head was face down on the pillow and she or he could not breathe.
The girl first made a proper grievance to police naming Bretherton in 2018, greater than 10 years after the alleged rape.
Ms Forshaw KC mentioned ‘frequent sense’ ought to make jurors query why she didn’t instantly report it to police.
The court docket heard she instructed a rape disaster centre in 2008 that she had agreed to take her trousers off, however instructed police 10 years later that he had ripped them off.
It’s also claimed she had modified her account from saying she had been slapped by him on the buttock to slapped on the thigh as she ‘knew’ the disaster centre studies would present the damage was on her thigh.
She reported the alleged assault in October 2008 however hesitated to press prices on three events earlier than agreeing to be interviewed by police the next month.
The court docket was additionally instructed she had at one level mentioned she felt ‘bullied’ into urgent prices by cops, and had been ‘interrogated’ and ‘made to really feel just like the perpetrator’ by cops.
Earlier within the trial, jurors had been instructed the alleged sufferer turned curious about taking the case additional after studying a couple of civil swimsuit Harvey Weinstein was going through in Britain.
She denies this and mentioned she had already spent three years researching how she may take the case ahead.
The November 2017 piece on the Deadline Hollywood showbiz website mentioned £300,000 may very well be paid out to a lady who had sued Weinstein.
Bretherton’s alleged sufferer contacted Jill Greenfield, a associate at London legislation agency Fieldfisher, about how her personal case and requested for recommendation.
They’d discussions, however Ms Greenfield suggested her it was unlikely a civil declare would achieve success as a result of there was not sufficient proof, jurors had been instructed.
The court docket was additionally instructed she initially refused to provide police entry to sure materials comparable to her therapists data.
Mrs Forshaw KC instructed jurors: ‘You’ll want to think about whether or not she is an individual who has the flexibility to dramatise a superbly bizarre accident.
Earlier within the trial, jurors had been instructed the alleged sufferer turned curious about taking the case additional after studying a couple of civil swimsuit Harvey Weinstein was going through in Britain
‘There isn’t a room for her to be the kind of one who is sort of flamboyant and dramatic and has re-written issues so they’re extra sensational.
‘After all there are stereotypes but when this had occurred in the best way she says it did you’ll say ‘get out of my means, you have got simply raped me.’
‘She mentioned ‘that’s not one thing to start out with anyone (earlier than leaving his flat).’
‘What you do earlier than you spend 5 days sitting on it, for you might be truly fairly a dramatic and flamboyant particular person, is you truly inform anyone and go to the police and say you have got been raped. It’s 5 days earlier than she says that.
‘I learn about stereotypes however in case you assume anyone is making an attempt to homicide you, you scream like there is no such thing as a tomorrow.
‘She has grown to persuade herself of her personal fact and her personal interpretation of what truly occurred which is much much less sensational, far much less dramatic and completely embarrassing.’
Brian O’Neill KC, prosecuting, mentioned the alleged sufferer had given a ‘broadly constant’ account of the alleged assault.
He instructed jurors: ‘Fairly why she waited so long as she did till she made a proper grievance to the police is one thing to which you’ll want to give cautious consideration.
‘Is it or might it’s as a result of she is anxious to safe a felony conviction earlier than pursuing a civil declare for damages, or are you able to ensure that that is merely a case of her lastly being emboldened to return ahead?
‘Her repeated refusal to provide the police entry to numerous materials comparable to her therapists data is likely to be as a result of she had one thing to cover as has been steered to you by the defence or is likely to be nothing greater than a legit want to guard her privateness and forestall strangers from trying by means of irrelevant private materials.
‘This case will not be straightforward and instances of this sort by no means are. The problems are traditional ones for a jury as they’re one particular person’s phrase towards one other with no supporting witnesses to help the account.
‘That doesn’t imply she will not be telling the reality.
‘That does not imply which you can’t convict on her phrase and her phrase alone.
‘If you’re certain she has instructed you the reality it will be your obligation to convict.
‘That is likely to be a tragic obligation to need to discharge as you have got heard he is an effective and first rate man.
‘On that evening fourteen and a half years in the past he was not being a simple and boring lover, nor the type and respectful man as talked about in one other character reference, nor the beneficiant lover within the bed room as described by his spouse.
‘That evening in his bed room one thing switched in Andrew Bretherton. He raped the sufferer.’
Choose Jane Rowley is anticipated to sum up the case tomorrow for jurors earlier than they retire to contemplate their verdict.
The trial continues.
