Montano and mates ‘took turns’

Date published: 14 March 2014


A woman who claims she was raped by a former Oldham Athletic star and his two mates told her best friend how the men had “taken turns” with her, a court heard.

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

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

After Montano had finished, Hurtado pulled his trousers down and had sex with the girl before Valencia took his turn, Snaresbrook Crown Court has heard.

The alleged victim’s best friend said her friend was tipsy but not drunk when they were at Liquid night club in Romford.

“When I had seen her she was tipsy but when we got outside she wasn’t listening to me and she seemed to be in a world of her own.

“When we left she seemed to be affected by the fresh air — she seemed to be not herself.”

Recalling their meeting with Montano and his friends on the night of back on July 7, 2012, she said: “One guy approached my friend in the club — we explained why we were there and where we had come from and he told us his name.

“The atmosphere was friendly and they hadn’t presented a reason for us not to be friendly back.

“But we got separated when I thought she was following me up the stairs.

“When I saw her again she was with the guys we met in the nightclub — I intended to get her and go to the taxi rank to go back to the Travelodge.

“They said they would give us a lift, but I did not want to get in a car with people I had just met.

“My friend was linking arms with one of them but she just wouldn’t listen to me and the one in the black top was arguing with me.

“I was explaining to him that we were not going to get in his car and he got quite aggressive towards me and was saying ‘She is ******* coming with us’.”

The last thing she shouted to her friend was “See you at the Travelodge”, jurors heard. The next morning she had three missed calls on her phone from the alleged victim before finally picking up at just before 7am, jurors heard.

She said: “She was really upset and crying and then I got lots of messages from her saying that they had ‘taken turns’ and ‘they raped me.’

They met up again later, the court heard.

“She was was very quiet. If she did speak it was in one-word answers — that is not consistent with the girl I know.”

The victim thought that no one would believe her but her friend insisted on calling police after the alleged attack at Axiom Apartments, Mercury Gardens, Romford.

Montano, born in Cali, Columbia, was a trainee with West Ham and has had loan spells at Notts County, Swindon, Dagenham and Redbridge and Oxford United. He was released last year by West Ham and moved to Oldham.

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

The trial continues.