Montano on ‘gang rape’ charge

Cristian Montano: Crown Court appearance

FORMER Oldham Athletic star Cristian Montano took part in a gang rape attack after a night out clubbing, a court has been told.

Midfielder Montano (22) took the woman back to an apartment in Romford, Essex with two friends and attacked her as she pleaded with them to stop, it is claimed.

The woman woke up naked with the former West Ham player on top of her while his friends Andres Hurtado (23) and Camilo Valencia (22) watched.

When Montano had finished Hurtado had sex with the 22 year old, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.

Afterwards the victim tried to get up but couldn’t move. Then Valencia got on top of her to humiliate her further, jurors heard.

The victim repeatedly told the men to stop, but she was overpowered and repeatedly raped.

The woman had met Colombian-born Montano on a night-out with friends in a Romford nightclub.

She remembers leaving the club with the men before losing her friend. The next thing she knew she was naked in bed, with Montano on top of her.

Giving evidence via video, the unidentified victim said: “My next memory was waking up in the bedroom, naked. I don’t remember how I got there or taking my clothes off — I didn’t know where I was.

“One of them was having sex with me and he said something in another language and then a couple of them came back into the room. I was trying to push him off me but I couldn’t, he was too strong.

“The others just stood there watching. Immediately after that another guy got into the bed. I kept saying no but he didn’t say anything and just kept going. Then another guy got on top of me.

“I went into the bathroom and sat there for a bit — I felt dirty.”

The three men called her a cab. She was given her clothes and her mobile phone, but her clutch bag wasn’t returned.

The victim recalled: “They were saying to me ‘don’t worry it is not your fault’ trying to act like I wanted it to happen and I consented.”

Montano, of Caspian Road, Moston, Valencia of Woolridge Way, Hackney and Hurtado of Pemberton Gardens, Upper Holloway, all deny rape.

The trial continues.