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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Jeff Farrell

Teenager 'texted friend for help before Commonwealth Games swimmer raped her'

A teenager texted a friend for help seconds before a Commonwealth Games swimmer raped her, a court heard.

The girl had consensual sex with Olympics star Ieuan Lloyd after he brought her home from a nightclub – but he “abandoned” her and Otto Putland, also an international swimmer, entered his room and jumped into the bed, the court heard.

The teenager allegedly told Mr Putland she did not want to sleep with him, but she claims he ignored her, so she ran to the bathroom where she sent a message to her friend – then “blacked out”.

She woke up back in the bed where Mr Putland, 23, was on top of her and having sex with her against her will, the court was told.

The girl recalled the night of July 14, 2015, when she had earlier been out with friends in Cardiff and met Lloyd, 24, in the city's Glam nightclub.

She said she later went with him to his home to have sex, but afterwards in his bedroom he got up and welcomed in his friend, Mr Putland – a fellow international swimmer who has competed at the Commonwealth Games.

Mr Lloyd then turned off the light and walked out of the room, the court heard.

She told Cardiff Crown Court: “He lay on the bed, took his clothes off and started kissing me. I felt uncomfortable.

“I said: 'What are you doing? You can't pass me around'.”

Mr Putland allegedly told the teenager: “You're not being passed around,” and she said she did not want to have sex with him.

The court heard she then texted a friend saying: “Help, I think something might happen”, according to a report in the The Sun.

 

She claimed she then “blacked out” but woke up back in the bed with Mr Putland on top of her. He had stripped off before putting on a condom and raping her twice.

Prosecutor Janet McDonald told the court: “She fell for Mr Lloyd, an Adonis — the man with a six pack. Was she naive? It matters not. With him it was consensual intercourse.

“But she did not consent with Putland. She did not consent to being passed around.”

Mr Putland, who swam for Wales in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, told police the pair had had consensual sex, saying: “She hadn’t said anything about being passed around.”

Mr Putland, of Dinedor, Hereford, denies two counts of rape.

The trial continues.

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