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 courtroom heard immediately.
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 lady informed police she thought she would die in the course of the alleged assault.
Bretherton, who married the previous British No 1 tennis star in 2015, denies two counts of rape.
Andrew Bretherton, 49,pictured exterior Internal London Crown Courtroom, 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 along 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 informed jurors there have been too many inconsistencies within the alleged sufferer’s account for them to make certain that she was telling the reality.
She additionally mentioned the alleged sufferer didn’t ask him to cease in any respect in the course of the first alleged assault, though the alleged sufferer says her head was face down on the pillow and he or she could not breathe.
The lady first made a proper grievance to police naming Bretherton in 2018, greater than 10 years after the alleged rape.
Ms Forshaw KC mentioned ‘widespread sense’ ought to make jurors query why she didn’t instantly report it to police.
The courtroom heard she informed a rape disaster centre in 2008 that she had agreed to take her trousers off, however informed police 10 years later that he had ripped them off.
Additionally it is 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 expenses on three events earlier than agreeing to be interviewed by police the next month.
The courtroom was additionally informed she had at one level mentioned she felt ‘bullied’ into urgent expenses by law enforcement officials, and had been ‘interrogated’ and ‘made to really feel just like the perpetrator’ by cops.
Earlier within the trial, jurors had been informed the alleged sufferer grew to become interested by 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 might take the case ahead.
The November 2017 piece on the Deadline Hollywood showbiz website mentioned £300,000 could possibly be paid out to a lady who had sued Weinstein.
Bretherton’s alleged sufferer contacted Jill Greenfield, a companion at London regulation agency Fieldfisher, about how her personal case and requested for recommendation.
That they had 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 informed.
The courtroom was additionally informed she initially refused to provide police entry to sure materials resembling her therapists information.
Mrs Forshaw KC informed jurors: ‘You’ll want to think about whether or not she is an individual who has the power to dramatise a wonderfully peculiar accident.
Earlier within the trial, jurors had been informed the alleged sufferer grew to become interested by 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 form of one that is kind of flamboyant and dramatic and has re-written issues so they’re extra sensational.
‘In fact there are stereotypes but when this had occurred in the best way she says it did you’ll say ‘get out of my approach, you may have simply raped me.’
‘She mentioned ‘that isn’t one thing to start out with any individual (earlier than leaving his flat).’
‘What you do earlier than you spend 5 days sitting on it, for you’re truly fairly a dramatic and flamboyant particular person, is you truly inform any individual and go to the police and say you may have been raped. It’s 5 days earlier than she says that.
‘I learn about stereotypes however for those who suppose any individual is making an attempt to homicide you, you scream like there isn’t 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 informed 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 could it’s as a result of she is anxious to safe a prison conviction earlier than pursuing a civil declare for damages, or are you able to make certain that that is merely a case of her lastly being emboldened to return ahead?
‘Her repeated refusal to provide the police entry to varied materials resembling her therapists information is perhaps as a result of she had one thing to cover as has been urged to you by the defence or is perhaps nothing greater than a reputable want to guard her privateness and stop strangers from trying by means of irrelevant private materials.
‘This case just isn’t straightforward and circumstances of this sort by no means are. The problems are basic 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 just isn’t telling the reality.
‘That does not imply that you could’t convict on her phrase and her phrase alone.
‘In case you are certain she has informed you the reality it will be your obligation to convict.
‘That is perhaps a tragic obligation to should discharge as you may have heard he is an efficient 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.’
Decide Jane Rowley is predicted to sum up the case tomorrow for jurors earlier than they retire to think about their verdict.
The trial continues.
