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| Tory aide raped woman in MP's office in parliament, court hears | Tory aide raped woman in MP's office in parliament, court hears |
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| An MP’s chief of staff raped an intern working for him in the Houses of Parliament after a night of drinking, a court has heard. Samuel Armstrong was accused of attacking the woman in the office of their boss, the Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay, last year. | An MP’s chief of staff raped an intern working for him in the Houses of Parliament after a night of drinking, a court has heard. Samuel Armstrong was accused of attacking the woman in the office of their boss, the Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay, last year. |
| The jury heard Armstrong recruited the woman and later used his position of power over her. After the attack, the court was told, she fled through the Palace of Westminster, before asking a cleaner to call the police for her. | The jury heard Armstrong recruited the woman and later used his position of power over her. After the attack, the court was told, she fled through the Palace of Westminster, before asking a cleaner to call the police for her. |
| “On a night in the autumn of last year, this defendant abused his position – his position as someone newly in charge of other people. And, after an evening drinking at his workplace with others – including a young office intern whom he had recently interviewed and recruited, he took her back to the office of their employer after hours and, once there and alone, took advantage of her,”Mark Heywood QC, prosecuting, said. | “On a night in the autumn of last year, this defendant abused his position – his position as someone newly in charge of other people. And, after an evening drinking at his workplace with others – including a young office intern whom he had recently interviewed and recruited, he took her back to the office of their employer after hours and, once there and alone, took advantage of her,”Mark Heywood QC, prosecuting, said. |
| Opening the prosecution’s case, he added: “The essence of it is that he raped her, both vaginally and orally. And, in doing so, we suggest, he abused his role and his position.” | Opening the prosecution’s case, he added: “The essence of it is that he raped her, both vaginally and orally. And, in doing so, we suggest, he abused his role and his position.” |
| Armstrong was charged with two counts of sexual assault and two of rape. “Each of those charges reflects things that happened to her – that he did to her,” Heywood said. | Armstrong was charged with two counts of sexual assault and two of rape. “Each of those charges reflects things that happened to her – that he did to her,” Heywood said. |
| The jury was played a recording of a police interview with the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in which she described the attack. | The jury was played a recording of a police interview with the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in which she described the attack. |
| In the recording, she told an officer she froze after Armstrong started to kiss her. She said she explicitly declined an invitation to go back to Armstrong’s flat but he undressed her and raped her. | In the recording, she told an officer she froze after Armstrong started to kiss her. She said she explicitly declined an invitation to go back to Armstrong’s flat but he undressed her and raped her. |
| She said he told her: “This is what you want”, which made her feel there was an “inevitability” that they would have sex, despite her not wanting to. | She said he told her: “This is what you want”, which made her feel there was an “inevitability” that they would have sex, despite her not wanting to. |
| The prosecutor said Armstrong, who is now 24, originally started working for the Conservative party as a volunteer activist and moved to Mackinlay’s office after the MP’s election in 2015. He later became his chief of staff and was responsible for interviewing and overseeing the process of her appointment as an unpaid intern. | The prosecutor said Armstrong, who is now 24, originally started working for the Conservative party as a volunteer activist and moved to Mackinlay’s office after the MP’s election in 2015. He later became his chief of staff and was responsible for interviewing and overseeing the process of her appointment as an unpaid intern. |
| The court heard that the pair had been drinking in the Sports and Social bar, within the Houses of Parliament, and, at one point in the night, Armstrong took her to the roof garden terrace so she could hear Big Ben chime. Later, the court heard that they went with two other people to the Lords’ offices, before Armstrong and the woman headed alone to Mackinlay’s office; ostensibly, the prosecutor said, so she could pick up some of her belongings. | |
| CCTV footage shown to the jury showed them in Westminster Hall and, the prosecution said: “It is obvious that the mood between them was light-hearted and playful.” | CCTV footage shown to the jury showed them in Westminster Hall and, the prosecution said: “It is obvious that the mood between them was light-hearted and playful.” |
| After they went to the MP’s office, the jury heard that the woman fell asleep. “That is where it began to go wrong,” Heywood said. “The defendant took gross advantage of the situation and of her obvious and open friendliness towards him.” | After they went to the MP’s office, the jury heard that the woman fell asleep. “That is where it began to go wrong,” Heywood said. “The defendant took gross advantage of the situation and of her obvious and open friendliness towards him.” |
| Armstrong became insistent and determined, the prosecutor continued. “As he knew perfectly well, he had her a very distinct disadvantage. His manner was now changed. He repeatedly called her a ‘bitch’.” | Armstrong became insistent and determined, the prosecutor continued. “As he knew perfectly well, he had her a very distinct disadvantage. His manner was now changed. He repeatedly called her a ‘bitch’.” |
| CCTV footage from later in the evening was also shown to the jury and the prosecution said it showed her “moving in an agitated way, neither relaxed nor at all happy … her steps are purposeful; she looks around herself and behind her at times and her step breaks into a little run from time to time”. | CCTV footage from later in the evening was also shown to the jury and the prosecution said it showed her “moving in an agitated way, neither relaxed nor at all happy … her steps are purposeful; she looks around herself and behind her at times and her step breaks into a little run from time to time”. |
| Armstrong denies the charges. The trial continues. | Armstrong denies the charges. The trial continues. |