Ex-Spandau Ballet singer Ross Davidson has appeared in court accused of rape and sexual assault.
Davidson, also known as Ross Wild, sang with the band in 2018 and starred in the Queen-themed West End musical We Will Rock You. He is on trial at Wood Green Crown Court accused of raping a woman and filming himself groping another.
He pleaded not guilty to raping a woman in London in March 2015 and also denied attempted rape and sexual assault of another woman in Thailand in December 2019.
A jury heard that he had pleaded guilty to a charge of voyeurism against the same woman in 2019 though.
The woman who claims she was raped in London said she felt “scared, intimidated and helpless” during the attack, as “he was so much stronger than she was and felt concerned for her safety”. She said a flashback led her to report the alleged rape.
Video evidence found on Davidson’s phone showed the second complainant asleep “at least half-naked” in a hotel bedroom in Phuket, Thailand, according to BBC News.
She told the court she did not know the video existed until being notified by police and said she did not consent to being intimately touched by the defendant. The woman said she had “drunk sex” with Davidson, but did not consent the following day when he allegedly tried to rape her.
She told the jury she was “very afraid in this moment”, and it felt like “a very dangerous situation to be in”. Davidson claimed the sexual touching was consensual and that she was just pretending to be asleep.
Prosecutor Richard Hearnden described Davidson as a “bit of a sex symbol” but added: “There are two women who say that he has a much darker side.”
Hearnden went on to tell the court: “Men such as the defendant, it is often supposed, can get any girl he wants without having to resort to committing sexual offences, without having to resort to forcing himself on women, without having to resort to rape.
“After all, he is attractive and possesses charisma and charm. Yet, the reality belies that supposition. It is because Ross Davidson expects to get sex on demand that he will resort to rape and sexual assault if he is not given what he thinks he deserves.”
Defence counsel Charlotte Newell KC said in relation to the woman in London: “He will say there was no sex at all with her in London as he was not sexually attracted to her – and that may be disappointing or upsetting – but in reality there was no spark for him.”
Newell also said of the separate incident in Thailand in 2019: “He understands that she would be upset when she found out he had videoed her.”
The trial is ongoing.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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