A former singer with the iconic 80s band Spandau Ballet told a woman "thanks for being cool about it" after she calmly talked him down from an alleged attempted rape, a London court has been told.
Alleged Attack in Thai Hotel Room
Ross Davidson, 37, of Finchley, north London, is on trial at Wood Green Crown Court accused of rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault. He denies all charges.
The court heard evidence from a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, regarding an incident in a hotel room in Phuket, Thailand, in December 2019. She said she had met Davidson only recently on the dating app Tinder.
Jurors were told the pair had drunk alcohol and had consensual sex on one night. However, the woman said she believed there was a "trust point where you trust that people will respect your boundaries." Describing herself as "naive" and "very trusting," she said she did not think someone would "mess with me" while she was asleep.
Waking to a 'Dangerous Situation'
The woman told the court she woke up in daylight, feeling hungover, to find Davidson attempting to have sex with her without her consent and without a condom. She said she immediately realised she was in a "dangerous situation."
"He was not wearing a condom and seemed surprised she woke up," she told police. She asked him, "what are you doing?" and described his eyes as "weird."
Fearing for her safety, she said she deliberately spoke in a calm tone "to lessen it (the situation) so that he did not try to hurt me." She told officers: "I thought there was a possibility he might hit me... I thought 'oh my God,' I might die. I did not know what he was capable of."
She said she pointed out to Davidson that he needed consent and was not wearing a condom. She recalled Davidson saying "thanks for being cool about it" as the situation de-escalated. She described him as initially "very tense" but becoming "very calm" as she reassured him she was not going to "freak out."
Secret Video Footage Discovered
The prosecution presented evidence about video footage found on Davidson's mobile phone. Detectives traced the woman after discovering a video showing her lying down "at least half naked" in the Phuket hotel room, where she is allegedly fondled while appearing to be "asleep, still and unresponsive."
The woman told the court she was unaware the footage existed until police informed her. She described the discovery as "disembodying" and "disempowering," causing a "scary" and "horrible feeling." She said she feared it could have been uploaded to a pornography site, but police later told her it appeared to exist only on Davidson's phone.
"How can you consent if you are asleep?" she asked officers. "Also, why would I want this strange man to sexually assault me in my sleep? There is no way that was beneficial to me or a pleasure."
Defence Claims and Other Charges
Defence barrister Charlotte Newell KC told the court that Davidson denies raping, attempting to rape, or sexually assaulting either woman involved in the case. Regarding the Thailand allegations, Davidson maintains the sexual touching was consensual and claims the woman was pretending to be asleep.
Davidson, who previously performed under the stage name Ross Wild and appeared in the West End musical We Will Rock You, also faces a separate charge of rape alleged to have occurred in London in March 2015, which he also denies.
Jurors have been told he has pleaded guilty to a charge of voyeurism relating to the same Thailand incident. The trial continues.
