University Challenge contestant raped me, York student tells police

Bartholomeo Joly de Lotbiniere, 21, has gone on trial accused of raping a woman at York University in June 2014.

The woman has told a jury how Joly de Lotbiniere came into her room after they had been on a night out in York and then had sex with her as she tried to push him off.

In a video interview played to a jury at York Crown Court, the woman explained why she reported the incident to police in August 2015, more than a year after she said it happened.

She said this was after Joly de Lotbiniere, referred to in court as Barto, appeared on University Challenge.

The woman told the interviewing officer: “It took a while to, sort of, sink in, what he did.”

She explained how she began dating someone and told him what had happened to her in June 2014, saying this was a moment of realisation.

She told the officer: “Then, basically, he was on University Challenge and it was all over social media and certain tweets.”

The woman said: “I just wanted to do something about it.”

Asked about this TV appearance, the woman said: “He’s on the team.”

She said she saw a tweet about this and “I just got angry and upset”.

She said: “Yeah, it has really got to me.

“And, as I say, it’s been a year, like over a year.

In the video interview, the woman described how she returned to the hall of residence in the early hours of June 27 2014 and Joly de Lotbiniere tried to kiss her, saying: “We should have sex.”

The woman said she did not take him seriously and she then went to the toilet.

After she came out and went into her room, she said, the defendant followed her in.

Asked about what was said when the incident began, the woman told the officers: “He said he wanted me to teach him, or something, how to do it properly and I think that was when he said he’d been fantasising about me.”

She said he kissed her before taking off her top and bra, picking her up and putting her on the bed.

“He kept saying we should have sex and I remember him saying something, ‘it’ll help you get over your ex’ or something,” she told the police.

The woman described how she tried to push Joly de Lotbiniere off as he lay on top of her and raped her.

Prosecutor Gerald Hendron told the jury how, after the alleged attack, the defendant told the woman “pretend this never happened” and then: “Tell no-one about this.”

Mr Hendron described how, two days after the incident, the woman texted Joly de Lotbiniere and said: “I thought I’d let you know I wasn’t overly comfortable with what happened on Thursday night.”

The prosecutor said that Joly de Lotbiniere replied: “Neither am I.

“I was a disgrace, I did a very stupid thing and I am very sorry for what I did.

“I just hope you can forgive me at some point.

“I’ll try not to act like a bloody 14-year-old again and start acting my age. Sorry.”

Mr Hendron told the jury that in October 2014 the defendant texted the woman again, saying: “I wanted to apologise to you in person tonight.

“I wanted you to know I’m very sorry for what I did and that there’s no enmity between us. And that we can move on as mutual friends.”

The prosecutor said that in a police interview, Joly de Lotbiniere told officers his apologies related to him being unable to get a proper erection during the sexual encounter.

Cross examined by Judy Khan QC, defending, the woman, who cannot be named, denied the barrister’s suggestions the encounter was a “disastrous one night stand”.

Judge Paul Batty QC told the jury the issue in the case is one of consent.

Joly de Lotbiniere, of Kensal Rise, London, denies rape and assault by penetration.

He sat in the dock wearing a dark grey suit, a white shirt and navy tie, flanked by a security officer.

The case was adjourned until Wednesday.