FORMER JLS star Oritse Williams has arrived at court as his rape trial jury are set to retire. The singer, 32, is accused of a sex attack on a 20-year-old woman in Wolverhampton after plying her and two pals with booze after a gig. Williams arrived at Wolverhampton Crown Court today clutching a holdall with […]
FORMER JLS star Oritse Williams has arrived at court as his rape trial jury are set to retire.
The singer, 32, is accused of a sex attack on a 20-year-old woman in Wolverhampton after plying her and two pals with booze after a gig.
Williams arrived at Wolverhampton Crown Court today clutching a holdall with the jury due to retire to consider a verdict.
His trial, which has been ongoing for over a week, has heard how the star allegedly raped the waitress at the Ramada Park Hall Hotel on December 2.
Jurors were told she could only remember “bits and pieces” of the night after drinking shots that were provided by Williams.
She admitted taking part in a “three way kiss” with Williams and her female friend while dancing in the VIP area.
The women ended up in the room that the former JLS singer was sharing with 32-year-old tour manager Jamien Nagadhana and at one point started cuddling on the bed, jurors were told.
A court heard Williams then took this opportunity to try and have sex with one of the girls, who were described by hotel staff as looking “spaced out and zombified”.
In a 30 minute recorded interview, the woman claimed Williams placed her down on the bed and took off her clothes during the “horrible” attack.
The music star claimed the sex was consensual but he was having problems performing.
Giving evidence, Williams denied acting like a “sexual predator” after the three girls put on a “highly charged sexual display” in the nightclub’s VIP area.
The pop singer told the court he “absolutely” did not rape the woman in his hotel room following one of his solo concerts.
Describing the moment he met the woman and her two pals, he added: “They seemed very excitable, very loud.
“They came in, asked for drinks and I was happy to share. I liked the three girls.”
Williams said there was flirtation between himself and the alleged victim, adding: “We were getting on really well.”
Her two friends began dancing “out of the blue” and Williams said things soon got “quite raunchy” which he was “loving”.
Williams told the court: “The three of them sat on my lap and were bouncing on me but I didn’t instigate that.
“I don’t think I would need the CCTV to remind myself of three girls grinding on me, it’s not something you forget.”
Williams said the three pals were “putting on a highly sexually charged display” and added: “It definitely caught my attention.”
He told jurors the waitress led him out of the club by his hand and back at the hotel the girls were “giggling, giddy, loud”.
The singer said the girls went to the bathroom and when they came out they were talking about their bisexuality before they abruptly left.
He told the court that when the woman came back to their hotel room after first leaving with her pal, she “wrapped her legs around my waist and squeezed tightly.”
Williams said the next thing he remembered was the alleged victim later knocking on the door looking for two phones before he went back to sleep.
When later interviewed by police, he said: “I am feeling bewildered at this whole thing.
“I do feel taken advantage of. I just feel like a musician, an artist that has been put into a position where they have been taken advantage of.”
He also pleaded with officers to “get to the truth and clear my name” as he said he was “perplexed” by the “crazy” rape allegation, it was said.
When the woman was tested after the alleged attack, she had 109mg per 100ml of alcohol in her blood – the legal drink-drive limit is 80mg per 100ml of blood.
His manager Nagadhana, who denies a charge of assault by penetration, said he attempted to “initiate” a threesome with Williams and the girl because they had “vibes” earlier in the night.
But he told a jury when he touched her, she “didn’t really respond” so he went back to his bed.
He added: “Her and Oritse started getting together pretty much straight away.
“I think the sex was a bit cringe and awkward. I know him, he’s a bit oafish. It probably wasn’t a fun sexual encounter.”
Williams, of Croydon, South London, pleaded not guilty to rape during a court hearing in November last year.
Nagadhana, also 32, from Hounslow, West London, denies a charge of assault by penetration.
JLS shot to fame on X Factor in 2008 after finishing runners-up to Alexandra Burke and went on to sell over ten million records.
The trial continues.
