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Jack Diamond denies rape and sexual assault
A footballer accused of raping a woman tried to have sex with her because he thought she was in a “huff” after he initially rejected her advances, a court has heard.
Sunderland winger Jack Diamond, 23, denies raping and sexually assaulting the woman at his home in Fatfield, Washington, on 7 May 2022.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the pair agreed to be “friends with benefits” after matching on a dating app in 2019.
‘Moment’s gone’
Mr Diamond was arrested and interviewed on 8 May 2022 hours after the alleged assault, jurors heard.
He told police he had been to a pub in Washington on 7 May and messaged the woman at about 22:30 BST to invite her to his home “just for some company”.
Mr Diamond said the woman got into bed with him and the couple, who were both just wearing underwear, started kissing and touching each other.
She then tried to “mount” him but he told her he didn’t think sex was a “good idea” so she rolled over and turned her back to him, the court heard.
Mr Diamond told police he thought she was in a “strop” and “huff” because he had stopped her, so he started trying to kiss her again.
“I went to give her affection thinking she’s, like, annoyed,” he said, adding: “I went to start kissing her because obviously this is what she wants.”
She pushed his hand away and said “no”, Mr Diamond said, adding she said the “moment’s gone”.
‘Fit of rage’
Mr Diamond said he told her that was fine, adding he “didn’t want to have sex” and was “only initiating because I thought [she was] in a huff”.
He said she left shortly after.
Detectives asked him if he was “happy” everything he did was consensual and he stopped when she asked him to, to which he replied “yeah”.
The court heard the woman messaged a friend to say Mr Diamond had “tried to force himself” on her.
In a statement read to the court, the friend said he met her in her car and noted she was “shaking, white and crying”.
They went into her home and told her parents, jurors heard.
The woman’s father said he “felt sick to [his] stomach” and was in a “fit of rage”, so he called police despite his daughter’s pleas not to.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
