Heaven nightclub bouncer raped teen, court hears

A security guard at Heaven nightclub has been accused of raping a 19-year-old woman in his car and taking her virginity, a court has heard.

The woman, who cannot be identified, had been denied entry to the central London venue's busy Halloween event on 31 October, Southwark Crown Court was told on Wednesday.

CCTV footage shown in court allegedly showed the defendant, Morenikeji Adewole, in hi-vis clothing, walking alone with the teenager who was stumbling and occasionally falling in the street.

Mr Adewole, from Dartford, is on trial accused of raping her in the early hours of 1 November 2024, which he denies.

In a police interview played to the court, the woman told officers she was a Christian who was "saving herself until marriage" and felt "violated".

The court heard she had queued for about two hours with five friends but only three of the group were allowed into the club, with the complainant left outside the venue.

The court was shown several CCTV videos, which allegedly showed Mr Adewole approaching the group and walking with the woman and one of her friends along Villiers Street.

"After a while, she wanted to get her other friends and just go home," prosecution barrister Marion Smullen said.

Giving evidence on Wednesday afternoon, the complainant said: "I basically asked for help, so that I could find my friend...

"Obviously at this point I was drunk. He led me up the queue and then after that I couldn't really remember.

"I was really stumbling, I couldn't walk straight."

Another clip features the defendant and the woman standing in a tunnel behind a shutter, where she could be seen repeatedly stumbling and bending over while holding her hands on her knees.

Stephan Alfred, defending Mr Adewole, put to the complainant that they kissed and cuddled consensually while in the tunnel.

The complainant said she did not remember those events happening.

CCTV showed Mr Adewole leaving the tunnel and returning in his Lexus before the complainant got into the front seat of the car, the court heard.

The woman said she does not remember being in the front passenger seat.

He then drove the teenager to a small road nearby, which is where the alleged rape occurred, the prosecutor said.

The defence barrister said she had "climbed from the front, through to the back, in order to engage in sexual activity with him" - which the woman denies.

She had earlier told jurors that she woke up in the back of the car to find him raping her.

The complainant told jurors that it had been "the small amount of protest I could muster", due to her being drunk.

Mr Alfred put to her that she later told her friends she had had sex with him and said she had let him, in order to gain entrance to the club.

The teenager denied making both statements.

She contacted the police in the afternoon of the day the attack happened and told officers she had been raped, the court heard.

Officers traced Mr Adewole through his car and he was arrested at the nightclub on 11 November 2024.

The Lexus keys were in his possession and he answered no comment to almost all questions when he was interviewed by police, Ms Smullen added.

The trial continues.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]