Former Durham University Union Society member goes on trial for rape

Louis Richardson allegedly raped a student while she was 'crazy drunk' and next morning told her she was 'rubbish in bed'

Louis Richardson, a former member of the Durham Union Society, denies rape (Facebook)

UPDATE December 6 2022: Louis Richardson was cleared of all charges against him. For more information click here.

The former secretary of a university debating club has gone on trial for allegedly raping a student while she was “crazy drunk”, before telling her the next morning she was “rubbish in bed”.

Louis Richardson, who was a senior member of the Union Society at Durham University, accepted in police interviews it was “likely” the pair had sex after he saw her in a local nightclub and took her back to his home, but denies rape.

The 21-year-old from Jersey, who also denies three sexual assault charges, looked on in Durham Crown Court as the alleged victim wept while giving evidence via a videolink.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told jurors that she liked Mr Richardson because he was “very confident” and “he seemed to be everything that I was not”. She recalled being “very, very intoxicated” while in Klute nightclub in March 2014. After seeing Mr Richardson, the next thing she could remember was waking up at his flat the next morning, she said.

“I can remember him saying I was really bad in bed because I was unresponsive,” she told the court, adding she felt “just completely horrified, like I had done everything wrong”.

She said she tried to laugh it off initially, and that she had been stupid for thinking of Mr Richardson as someone who would have looked after her when she was drunk.

Mr Richardson told police investigating the claims that he and the woman had been drinking, but claimed they were not drunk. He denied in interviews with officers that he had said she was “rubbish” at sex, the court heard. The same woman also claims that a few days later Mr Richardson lifted up her top at a friend’s house to expose her bra at a party, having earlier kissed her and made a joke about rape.

“I pushed him away and said I didn’t want to do that,” she said of his attempted kiss. “He pushed me against a wall and kissed me and said, ‘Don’t worry darling, it’s rape’.”

She explained to the jury that, by these words, Mr Richardson meant the kiss was not her choice. “He was making a joke about rape,” she said.

Questioned by Mr Richardson’s defence barrister, the alleged victim accepted that she and Mr Richardson had sent jokey, flirtatious Facebook messages to one another. Asked if sending him a photo of her cleavage was “flirtatious sexual banter”, the woman replied: “I suppose so, yes.”

Mr Richardson is also charged with attacking another woman, who did not know the first claimant, at a house party in October 2014.

Feeling ill, she had gone to sleep in an empty bedroom when she awoke to allegedly find a man with one hand on her breast and the other over her knickers. When she pushed him off, Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said he replied: “If you wanted me to stop you could have asked.” She told the court via videolink that she was really shocked, embarrassed and “freaked out”.

She did not know Mr Richardson but remembered his “posh” accent, the court heard. Mr Richardson told police he had been comforting the woman by putting his hand on her shoulder. He told police she took hold of his hand and moved it herself to her chest, the jury has heard.

She came forward with her complaint to the police after she was told that Mr Richardson had been arrested for rape. The trial continues.