Commonwealth Games swimmer 'raped woman after friend had sex with her because he thought that made it OK'

Otto Putland denies one count of rape after a night out with fellow swimmer Ieuan Lloyd in Cardiff in July 2015

Mr Putland, who is from Dinedor near Hereford and swam in the 2014 games, denies rape (PA Archive/PA Images)

A Commonwealth Games swimmer raped a woman after she had consensual sex with his friend, who was also a high-class athlete, a court has heard.

Otto Putland, 24, who represented Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, is accused of getting into bed with the 19-year-old after she had sex with Team GB swimmer Ieuan Lloyd.

A Cardiff Crown Court jury heard how the woman texted her friend saying: “I need help please come and get me.”

Mr Putland, who is from Dinedor, near Hereford, denies rape.

Janet McDonald, for the prosecution, told the jury at the court on Wednesday the incident was alleged to have taken place at Mr Lloyd’s home in Cardiff after a night out in July 2015.

Ms McDonald said it was the Crown’s case that Mr Putland had “no respect” for the woman.

“Because his friend had had sex, it was OK for him to do so too,” she said.

“He was a man fuelled by drink who took what he wanted.”

Ms McDonald said Mr Lloyd and Mr Putland went to a nightclub in the city where the former met the woman and subsequently left with her, bringing her to his home where they had sex.

Jurors heard she recalled Mr Lloyd getting up and leaving the room before hearing him talking to Mr Putland outside the door.

Ms McDonald said: “The complainant could not hear all of their conversation that took place at the door but she did hear words to the effect of ‘Is that the girl?’

“The defendant then came to the bedroom, sat on the bed, took off his socks ... The complainant was concerned.

“She texted her friend asking for help, fearing that something was about to happen.”

Ms McDonald said Mr Putland started kissing the woman, who asked him what he was doing and said: “You can’t pass me around.”

The court heard that Mr Putland took his boxers off and the woman put her hands between her legs to cover her genitals.

Ms McDonald said: “She turned away from him.

“She told him she didn’t want sex, she was crying and she said ‘You can’t pass me around’.

“She made it clear that she did not want sex.”

The court heard Mr Putland started having sex with the woman but stopped when she said she needed to use the bathroom.

Ms McDonald said the woman called her friend from the bathroom, saying she needed to leave and the next thing she remembered was hearing her phone ring and being back in the bed with Mr Putland having sex with her again.

Jurors were told the subsequent incident had initially been charged as a second count of rape, but that another jury had found Mr Putland not guilty of that offence.

Ms McDonald said some of the woman’s friends went to the house after receiving messages and calls from her asking for help.

She said one of the woman’s friends went into the hallway and saw a naked man – Mr Lloyd – at the top of the stairs with the complainant, who was crying, behind him.

The court heard the woman and her friends left in a taxi and despite seeing a forensic doctor two days later the woman did not report the matter to police until November 2016 – initially saying she did not want to because she did not want her mother to know what had happened.

Ms McDonald said: “It was clear in the circumstances to her she could not turn to Ieuan Lloyd for help.

“He passed her on to his friend as if she were chattel.”

In a police interview, Mr Putland said that he remembered the woman but had little memory of the night itself.

He told police that he saw that she was upset and would have stopped had he believed she did not want sex.

The trial continues.

Additional reporting by Press Association