Commonwealth swimmer accused of raping a student after a night out in Cardiff may face a retrial

A Commonwealth Games swimmer, Otto Putland, is accused of raping a nineteen-year old student after a night at Glam, and could be facing retrial after the jury were unable to reach a verdict.

The woman involved, who is now 22 and cannot be named, said in court: "I text my friend for help because I thought something might happen" on the night of the incident in July 2015.

The athlete has been acquitted of one rape count, however a second charge could not be agreed on by the panel.

The student met Olympian Ieuan Lloyd at Glam before going to his home

The incident took place in 2015 after the student willingly slept with Ieuan Lloyd, a two-time Olympian swimmer, after meeting for the first time in Glam, and was reported to the police last July.

The night ended with Lloyd taking the student back to his home in Adamsdown, where they spent the night together.

Here she was introduced to Otto Putland, who swam for Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

"Otto and Ieuan were both having a conversation outside the room with the door open," the student told the court.

She claimed she was then "abandoned" by Lloyd and joined on the bed by the Olympian's best friend, who allegedly began advancing on the student himself.

"I told him I didn't want to have sex with him and he kept trying to kiss me.

"Then he took off his boxers. He asked: 'Do you want me to put a condom on?'"

After refusing to have sex with Putland, the girl who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed she was assaulted by him until she passed out, waking to the athlete having sex with her.

Out of the two swimmers only Lloyd was present at Glam nightclub that night, Putland meeting him and the student later at Lloyd's home.

The trial began sixteen months ago, and Putland continues denying allegations of rape, claiming the sex was consensual after the student began flirting with him.

He claimed: “She didn’t say anything to make me believe she didn’t want to engage. She hadn’t said anything about being passed around at that point."

"Had she done so I would not have had sex."

The case has been postponed until 15th September, and Putland is currently on conditional bail.