Jury shown footage of Cabral rape claim woman in bed with other players

Updated

Video footage has been played to a jury showing a woman who claims she was raped by a professional footballer, in bed with two other players days before she gave evidence in court.

The 22-year-old complainant has told a jury at Hull Crown Court how former Sunderland player Cabral, whose real name is Adilson Tavares Varela, pinned her down on his bed and raped her.

As the woman was cross-examined on Wednesday, Kitty Taylor, defending, played the jury mobile phone footage which the barrister said showed her in bed with two other footballers on Saturday night along with another woman.

Miss Taylor said to the woman: "What on earth were you thinking? Preparing for this event by going out on Saturday night and ending up in bed with two professional footballers in the early hours of the morning?"

She replied: "I didn't class them as footballers. I was in bed with my best friend."

The woman admitted she had been in a relationship with another player in the past. But she denied Ms Taylor's suggestions that she had had sexual relations with other professional footballers.

Ms Taylor was pressing the complainant, who cannot be named, about whether she "liked and seeked out the company of" black, professional footballers.

The woman repeatedly said this was not the case and added that she was going out with a white man.

The complainant also denied that she was accusing Varela, 27, of rape to get compensation.

She was in tears as she said: "I don't want money. I want this man to go to jail for what he's done to me."

Earlier this week, the woman told the jury that she met Varela in a nightclub in Newcastle and went back to his flat in Gateshead with friends, including former French international Anthony Reveillere.

The jury has been told that Varela bought a magnum of vodka in the club's VIP area costing £1,200.

Cape Verde-born Varela, who now plays for Swiss team FC Zurich, denies two counts of rape.

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