Cybereagles

Sheffield United striker Ched Evans found guilty of rape

• 23-year-old jailed for five years for raping a teenager
• Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald found not guilty

guardian.co.uk, Friday 20 April 2012 15.38 BST

Ched Evans of Sheffield United, who has been found guilty of rape


The Sheffield United and Wales striker Ched Evans was on Friday jailed for five years for raping a teenager who was "too drunk to consent" to sex as two of his friends watched and tried to film it on a mobile phone.

Evans, 23, was found guilty of raping the then 19-year-old at a hotel following a night out in Rhyl, north Wales, last May.

His co-defendant, the Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald, was found not guilty of the same charge.

Court proceedings were disrupted after McDonald was acquitted, prompting a brief adjournment.

The court heard that both men admitted they had sex with the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, but the prosecution said she was too drunk to consent to sexual intercourse.

In her evidence to police, the woman said she has no memory of the incident and believes her drink may have been spiked.

The jury first returned a not-guilty verdict on McDonald after four hours and 52 minutes of deliberations.

McDonald, of Marys Gate, Crewe, Cheshire, looked elated as the verdict was read out. His family and friends in the public gallery reacted by shouting "Yes, yes". One man left the courtroom and could be heard screaming.

Judge Merfyn Hughes QC then rose and everyone in the public gallery was ordered to leave the court.

McDonald remained in the dock with Evans, 23, of Ashtree Gardens, Millhouse Green, Penistone, South Yorkshire, who held his head in his hands and cried hysterically.

McDonald hugged Evans and the two footballers, who first met when they were both at the Manchester City youth academy, banged heads together.

When the judge returned to the court, the jury foreman gave the guilty verdict against Evans.

The Sheffield United centre forward threw the headphones he was using to follow the trial on the floor and then looked shocked.

Judge Hughes told McDonald he was free to leave the dock and after the footballer exited the court, shouts of "No, no" could be heard.

In a statement released via Sheffield United's website, Evans's lawyers said: "Ched Evans is shocked and extremely disappointed with the decision reached today by the jury at Caernarfon Crown Court to convict him of the charge brought against him.

"Mr Evans firmly maintains his innocence in this matter and is being advised regarding an appeal of the decision."

Sheffield United said the club recognised "the seriousness of these events and as such wishes to respond in a responsible way when it has taken sufficient time to consider the matter fully".

The court heard that both men admitted they had sex with the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, but the prosecution said she was too drunk to consent to sexual intercourse.

In her evidence to police, the woman said she has no memory of the incident and believes her drink may have been spiked.

heavyd wrote:If they both had sex with the girl how was one man found guilty and the other not??

toyin133 wrote:

heavyd wrote:If they both had sex with the girl how was one man found guilty and the other not??

The case get as im be

toyin133 wrote:

heavyd wrote:If they both had sex with the girl how was one man found guilty and the other not??

The case get as im be

felarey wrote:No mention of what the footballers' defence were. It's losers that sleep with a woman that's too drunk beyond measure and indeed, her drink may have been spiked. She may have left with them thinking they were trying to help her. There's a police poster here on trains and buses that says "just because you help her doesn't mean you get to help yourself" and the picture is of a woman being helped in a car outside the club. The account in the article leaves too many holes. Non consensual sex is dangerous, guys beware! Some chics are crazy, they'll call the cops on you.

Vincent. wrote:

felarey wrote:No mention of what the footballers' defence were. It's losers that sleep with a woman that's too drunk beyond measure and indeed, her drink may have been spiked. She may have left with them thinking they were trying to help her. There's a police poster here on trains and buses that says "just because you help her doesn't mean you get to help yourself" and the picture is of a woman being helped in a car outside the club. The account in the article leaves too many holes. Non consensual sex is dangerous, guys beware! Some chics are crazy, they'll call the cops on you.

What if both of them were drunk? who is raping who? What if she actually gave consent but could not remember? A lot of people do not remember what they do in a state of sexual intoxication... Apparently, tue only solution is to have a video camera in your bedroom

Vincent. wrote:

felarey wrote:No mention of what the footballers' defence were. It's losers that sleep with a woman that's too drunk beyond measure and indeed, her drink may have been spiked. She may have left with them thinking they were trying to help her. There's a police poster here on trains and buses that says "just because you help her doesn't mean you get to help yourself" and the picture is of a woman being helped in a car outside the club. The account in the article leaves too many holes. Non consensual sex is dangerous, guys beware! Some chics are crazy, they'll call the cops on you.

What if both of them were drunk? who is raping who? What if she actually gave consent but could not remember? A lot of people do not remember what they do in a state of sexual intoxication... Apparently, tue only solution is to have a video camera in your bedroom

felarey wrote:

Vincent. wrote:

felarey wrote:No mention of what the footballers' defence were. It's losers that sleep with a woman that's too drunk beyond measure and indeed, her drink may have been spiked. She may have left with them thinking they were trying to help her. There's a police poster here on trains and buses that says "just because you help her doesn't mean you get to help yourself" and the picture is of a woman being helped in a car outside the club. The account in the article leaves too many holes. Non consensual sex is dangerous, guys beware! Some chics are crazy, they'll call the cops on you.

What if both of them were drunk? who is raping who? What if she actually gave consent but could not remember? A lot of people do not remember what they do in a state of sexual intoxication... Apparently, tue only solution is to have a video camera in your bedroom

Two guys pick up a drunk chic and gangbang her while their friends tried to record it on mobile phones. Goodluck trying to prove innocence to that even if she consented. Did she consent to the videos too?

felarey wrote:No mention of what the footballers' defence were. It's losers that sleep with a woman that's too drunk beyond measure and indeed, her drink may have been spiked. She may have left with them thinking they were trying to help her. There's a police poster here on trains and buses that says "just because you help her doesn't mean you get to help yourself" and the picture is of a woman being helped in a car outside the club. The account in the article leaves too many holes. Non consensual sex is dangerous, guys beware! Some chics are crazy, they'll call the cops on you.

anikulapo wrote:Dayum I used to warn some Naija guys who used to play those games to beware of some crazy wench who could end all usefulness for your life when a charge like this gets attached to you

felarey wrote:

Vincent. wrote:

felarey wrote:No mention of what the footballers' defence were. It's losers that sleep with a woman that's too drunk beyond measure and indeed, her drink may have been spiked. She may have left with them thinking they were trying to help her. There's a police poster here on trains and buses that says "just because you help her doesn't mean you get to help yourself" and the picture is of a woman being helped in a car outside the club. The account in the article leaves too many holes. Non consensual sex is dangerous, guys beware! Some chics are crazy, they'll call the cops on you.

What if both of them were drunk? who is raping who? What if she actually gave consent but could not remember? A lot of people do not remember what they do in a state of sexual intoxication... Apparently, tue only solution is to have a video camera in your bedroom

Two guys pick up a drunk chic and gangbang her while their friends tried to record it on mobile phones. Goodluck trying to prove innocence to that even if she consented. Did she consent to the videos too?

kone wrote:These drunk case i no believe why we never hear of a case where a straight man sleeps with another man when he was drunk. Twwww abeg bobo no wetin ein dey do

Orion wrote:

felarey wrote:

Vincent. wrote:

felarey wrote:No mention of what the footballers' defence were. It's losers that sleep with a woman that's too drunk beyond measure and indeed, her drink may have been spiked. She may have left with them thinking they were trying to help her. There's a police poster here on trains and buses that says "just because you help her doesn't mean you get to help yourself" and the picture is of a woman being helped in a car outside the club. The account in the article leaves too many holes. Non consensual sex is dangerous, guys beware! Some chics are crazy, they'll call the cops on you.

What if both of them were drunk? who is raping who? What if she actually gave consent but could not remember? A lot of people do not remember what they do in a state of sexual intoxication... Apparently, tue only solution is to have a video camera in your bedroom

Two guys pick up a drunk chic and gangbang her while their friends tried to record it on mobile phones. Goodluck trying to prove innocence to that even if she consented. Did she consent to the videos too?

You've not read the story properly before commenting. She was not with the guys in a bar. One of the guys Clayton McDonald was on his way back way to his hotel room, after a night out, and picked her up outside a food joint.

She got into a taxi with him and went to his hotel room. Why would she follow a single guy that late at night to his hotel room? When they got there according to McDonald she consented to sex and even initiated it. Where things began to go wrong IMO is when he then called his friend Ched Evans to say he's got a "bird" and Evans then joined them at the hotel and had sex with her too while two other guys that came with him were outside trying to film it through a window. If it wasn't for the introduction of these new guys I doubt she was have cried rape after all she followed the first guy voluntarily to his hotel room knowing why they were going there.

Orion wrote:

felarey wrote:

Vincent. wrote:

felarey wrote:No mention of what the footballers' defence were. It's losers that sleep with a woman that's too drunk beyond measure and indeed, her drink may have been spiked. She may have left with them thinking they were trying to help her. There's a police poster here on trains and buses that says "just because you help her doesn't mean you get to help yourself" and the picture is of a woman being helped in a car outside the club. The account in the article leaves too many holes. Non consensual sex is dangerous, guys beware! Some chics are crazy, they'll call the cops on you.

What if both of them were drunk? who is raping who? What if she actually gave consent but could not remember? A lot of people do not remember what they do in a state of sexual intoxication... Apparently, tue only solution is to have a video camera in your bedroom

Two guys pick up a drunk chic and gangbang her while their friends tried to record it on mobile phones. Goodluck trying to prove innocence to that even if she consented. Did she consent to the videos too?

You've not read the story properly before commenting. She was not with the guys in a bar. One of the guys Clayton McDonald was on his way back way to his hotel room, after a night out, and picked her up outside a food joint.

She got into a taxi with him and went to his hotel room. Why would she follow a single guy that late at night to his hotel room? When they got there according to McDonald she consented to sex and even initiated it. Where things began to go wrong IMO is when he then called his friend Ched Evans to say he's got a "bird" and Evans then joined them at the hotel and had sex with her too while two other guys that came with him were outside trying to film it through a window. If it wasn't for the introduction of these new guys I doubt she was have cried rape after all she followed the first guy voluntarily to his hotel room knowing why they were going there.