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| Brighton footballers deny sex assault charges | Brighton footballers deny sex assault charges |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Four footballers sexually assaulted a 19-year-old woman as she slept in a Brighton hotel, a court has heard. | Four footballers sexually assaulted a 19-year-old woman as she slept in a Brighton hotel, a court has heard. |
| Brighton players Anton Rodgers, 20, George Barker, 21, Lewis Dunk, 21, and former team-mate Steve Cook, 22, denied the charge at the Old Bailey. | Brighton players Anton Rodgers, 20, George Barker, 21, Lewis Dunk, 21, and former team-mate Steve Cook, 22, denied the charge at the Old Bailey. |
| Mr Rodgers, Mr Barker and Mr Cook also deny voyeurism. Mr Dunk was cleared of that charge at an earlier trial. | |
| Judge Christopher Moss told jurors they should discount anything they may have heard about the first trial. | Judge Christopher Moss told jurors they should discount anything they may have heard about the first trial. |
| Richard Barton, prosecuting, said the four - who all played for Brighton at the time - met the woman in a club, after a match in July 2011. | |
| Dress pulled down | Dress pulled down |
| He told the court the woman woke up the following morning in bed with Mr Rodgers in a hotel room where another player was also asleep. | |
| Her bra had been removed and the top of her dress pulled down. | Her bra had been removed and the top of her dress pulled down. |
| Mr Barton said she asked to use Mr Rodgers' mobile phone and began scrolling through some of the photographs on it. | Mr Barton said she asked to use Mr Rodgers' mobile phone and began scrolling through some of the photographs on it. |
| "She saw there was a whole series of photographs on the phone of a young woman wearing a pink dress," he said. | "She saw there was a whole series of photographs on the phone of a young woman wearing a pink dress," he said. |
| "The woman was lying on a bed, clearly not awake. In some of them there were semi-naked men around her. | "The woman was lying on a bed, clearly not awake. In some of them there were semi-naked men around her. |
| "Then she realised to her horror the unconscious woman in the pink dress was herself." | "Then she realised to her horror the unconscious woman in the pink dress was herself." |
| 'Privileged position' | |
| Mr Barton said the woman had been unconscious through drink and tiredness. | Mr Barton said the woman had been unconscious through drink and tiredness. |
| He said the actions were those of a group of arrogant young men, and he told the jury: "They believed that as a result of their privileged position as professional footballers, they could do this to this young woman and she would not come forward and say what happened." | He said the actions were those of a group of arrogant young men, and he told the jury: "They believed that as a result of their privileged position as professional footballers, they could do this to this young woman and she would not come forward and say what happened." |
| Mr Cook, who was on Brighton and Hove Albion's books at the time of the alleged assault, signed for Bournemouth last year. | Mr Cook, who was on Brighton and Hove Albion's books at the time of the alleged assault, signed for Bournemouth last year. |
| Mr Rodgers is the son of Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, who was among eight members of the players' families in the public gallery at the start of the trial. | Mr Rodgers is the son of Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, who was among eight members of the players' families in the public gallery at the start of the trial. |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |