Montano could face retrial

Cristian Montano

A FORMER Oldham Athletic star accused of raping a young woman after his friend had sex with her is facing a possible retrial after a jury failed to reach a verdict yesterday.

Winger Cristian Montano (22), allegedly took the woman back to an apartment in Romford, Essex, with two friends and attacked her as she pleaded with him to stop.

The jury of seven men and five women found his friends Andres Hurtado (23) and Camilo Valencia (22), not guilty of rape after deliberations spanning two days at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

But the panel was unable to reach a verdict against former West Ham player Montano on the single charge of rape.

The Crown is expected to make a decision on whether he should be retried on April 3.

Hurtado and Montano both admitted having sex with the girl but claimed it was consensual. Valencia denied having sex with her at all.

Montano, a first-team regular at Boundary Park earlier this season, claims the girl had “encouraged” him into bed and that he had stopped having sex with her because he felt guilty about cheating on his girlfriend.

Montano, of Caspian Road, Moston, denies rape while Valencia, of Woolridge Way, Hackney and Hurtado, of Pemberton Gardens, Upper Holloway, were cleared of the charge.