England football star denies threat to 'slap up' woman

The England footballer Rio Ferdinand told a jury yesterday he had not been warned by bouncers about "touching up" women in a nightclub and denied threatening to "slap up" one female clubber.

The Manchester United defender, 24, who is due to play for England today against Turkey in a European championship qualifier in Sunderland, was giving evidence in the trial of a 33-year-old man accused of attempted rape.

A jury at Leeds Crown Court heard Mr Ferdinand deny allegations about his behaviour at the Hi Fi Club in Leeds on 21 January last year, when he was a Leeds United player.

Mr Ferdinand agreed he had been out drinking with a team-mate, Michael Duberry, but denied he was on a "drinking spree". He admitted he had been warned to "chill out" by a bouncer but denied that the doorman had accused him and Mr Duberry of touching women indecently. Mr Ferdinand also denied he had been scuffling with friends outside the club, but admitted his group had been "boisterous" as they waited for a taxi. He agreed he sat on the roof of a car outside the club, but denied he climbed on it. He said he was not drunk.

The court was told that Mr Ferdinand and Mr Duberry left Leeds city centre with two girls in a car driven by a man called Reds he said he knew from the club. The footballer said the party went to a hotel near Leeds where they drank champagne in the lounge. He said he did not go to a room with them.

Mr Ferdinand said he had no idea that the man called Reds was a criminal with a history of violence and drug dealing.

The player was giving evidence in the trial of Martin Luther King, 33, who denies attempting to rape a 22-year-old woman as well as kidnapping and indecently assaulting her.

The alleged victim said Mr King abducted her after she left the Hi Fi club and drove her to a lane where he assaulted her and threatened her with a gun.

The woman had told the jury that while she was in the club Mr Duberry sexually assaulted her. She said she slapped him, and then Mr Ferdinand threatened her, saying, "If I don't slap you up I'll get someone else to."

Richard Newberry, for the prosecution, put the allegations to Mr Ferdinand, who denied them. Mr Newberry said: "I'm not suggesting that you actually instructed someone to go and smack this girl up. It would have been sufficient, I suggest, that Reds or perhaps Reds' friend had seen this incident." Mr Ferdinand replied: "No."The complainant said her kidnapper had said: "It's not me that's doing this to you, it's Rio and Michael." The trial continues.