Student accused of rape after appearance on TV quiz
A WOMAN reported that she had been raped by a fellow Yorkshire student after she spotted him on the BBC TV quiz show University
Challenge, a court has heard. The 22-year-old went to police after seeing Bartholomeo Joly de Lotbiniere on the television programme a year after the alleged attack in her University of York halls of residence.
She told an officer that Joly de Lotbiniere had sex with her in her room as she tried to push him off and later sent her text messages saying he did “a very stupid thing” and was sorry, a trial at Bradford Crown Court heard.
In an interview played in court, the woman told police she was prompted to report the alleged attack after the defendant appeared on television in 2015.She said: “Basically, he was on University Challenge and it was all over social media and certain tweets.”
The woman said she saw a tweet by Pointless host Richard Osman about Joly de Lotbiniere’s name and “just got angry and upset”.
The jury heard that Joly de Lotbiniere and the woman had been out drinking as part of a group in June 2014 and returned to the halls of residence in the early hours of the morning.
Gerald Hendron, prosecuting, told the court the defendant tried to kiss the woman and said “we should have sex”, telling her it would help her get over her exboyfriend.
The woman told police he also said he had been fantasising about her and that he wanted her to teach him “how to do it properly”, but that she told him she did not want to, the jury heard.
Mr Hendron said Joly de Lotbiniere followed the woman into her room and kissed her before removing her top and bra, picking her up and putting her on the bed, where he removed her trousers and assaulted her.
The prosecutor said: “All the while, (the woman) was telling him to stop. She tried to push him off her.” The court heard Joly de Lotbiniere then raped the woman while she tried to push him off.
Mr Hendron told the jury how, after the alleged attack, the defendant told the woman “pretend this never happened”. Joly de Lotbiniere, of Kensal Rise, London, denies rape and assault by penetration. The trial continues.