Commonwealth Games swimmer Otto Putland ‘raped woman after she had sex with his friend’

A Commonwealth Games swimmer raped a woman after she had sex with another top athlete, a court has heard.

Otto Putland, 24, denies one charge of forcing himself on the woman after she had consensual sex with Olympic swimmer Ieuan Lloyd.

Janet McDonald, prosecuting, claimed the woman had been passed between the men “as if she were a chattel”.

It was the Crown’s case, she said, that Putland had “no respect” for the woman, and was “a man fuelled by drink who took what he wanted”.

The offence is alleged to have taken place at Lloyd’s home in Cardiff after a night out in July 2015.

After Lloyd and Putland went to a nightclub in the city, Lloyd took the woman home and had sex with her.

Jurors were told that after Lloyd left the room, the complainant could hear him talking to Putland outside the door.

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

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

Ms McDonald said Putland then started kissing the woman, who said: “You can’t pass me around.”

Ms McDonald added: “She turned away from him. She told him she didn’t want sex. She was crying. She made it clear that she did not want sex.

“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 a chattel.”

Some of the woman’s friends went to the house after receiving calls or help, Ms McDonald said, and saw Lloyd naked at the top of the stairs and the complainant behind him, crying.

The jury were told the woman and her friends left in a taxi and despite seeing a forensic doctor two days later did not report the matter to police until November 2016, because she did not want her mother to know what had happened.

Putland, from Dinedor, near Hereford, was interviewed by police and had difficulty remembering what had happened, the court was told.

“He did remember (the woman) and having what he said was consensual sex with her,” Ms McDonald said.

“He agreed it was after she had sex with Ieuan Lloyd… he recalls he noticed she was upset about something (saying) ‘I feel I have been passed around, I don’t really want to be here’.”

Putland told officers he walked the girl to the door straight away and she left.

The trial continues.

(c) Sky News 2018: Commonwealth Games swimmer Otto Putland ‘raped woman after she had sex with his friend’