Jack Diamond Court case: Sunderland footballer denies rape allegation

A Sunderland footballer sexually assaulted and raped a woman he met on a dating site, a court heard.

Jack Diamond "roughly" groped then raped the alleged victim at the home he then shared with team mate Anthony Patterson, it is claimed.

Newcastle Crown Court heard 23-year-old winger Diamond had invited the woman, who he met on Tinder, to spend the night and they agreed there would be "cuddling".

But prosecutor David Povall said the sportsman "wanted more than that".

Mr Povall told jurors: "Eventually she agreed, she consented, to him penetrating her vagina with his fingers. He did that, that was consensual and as he was doing that she pretended to orgasm quickly, in order to bring that to an end.

"He then asked her to hold his penis in her hand as he went to sleep and she did that and agreed to that."

Mr Povall said a little bit later Diamond woke up and started to "feel and caress" the woman and she asked him to stop but he carried on.

He added: "He straddled her as she lay in the bed and despite her protests digitally penetrated her vagina with a finger or fingers.

"This time, she said, roughly, with force, so that it caused her pain."

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Mr Povall said Diamond eventually stopped but "huffed and rather sulkily" asked her to masturbate him.

He added: "She said no, she didn't want to and she lay with her back to him while, as far as she could tell, he started to masturbate himself."

Mr Povall said said Diamond then pushed his penis to the woman's vagina from behind and, although he did not fully penetrate her, the contact amounted to rape.

In a video recording with police, the woman said she had agreed to go to Diamond's home "just for cuddles".

The woman said after the sexual assault she felt "sick" and told the officer: "I've never felt that way before. I thought I was going to physically throw up".

She said after Diamond moved her thong to the side and pushed his penis to her vagina, she heard him typing on his phone and feared he may be trying to arrange a "threesome" with Mr Patterson.

She said she then arranged, via messages, for a friend to collect her.

The woman said when she told Diamond she was leaving, Diamond replied "sound".

Diamond, of Fatfield, Washington, Tyne and Wear, denies rape and assault by penetration.

He told police during questioning it was the woman who initiated sexual contact, which he rejected as he believed she wanted "more".

The trial continues.