Ched Evans rape trial: Woman 'could not remember anything'

A woman allegedly raped by footballer Ched Evans said she woke up naked in a hotel room alone and could not remember how she had got there, a court heard.

The Chesterfield striker denies having sex with the 19-year-old at a Denbighshire hotel, while she was too drunk to consent, in May 2011.

Mr Evans, 27, was found guilty of rape at Caernarfon Crown Court in 2012, but his conviction was quashed in April.

The woman told the Cardiff Crown Court retrial she "did not take the lead".

After taking the stand on Wednesday, the woman was cross-examined by Mr Evans' barrister, Judy Khan QC, about the sexual activity.

Miss Khan QC suggested she had taken charge with Mr Evans after he "joined in" in consensual sex she was having with his fellow footballer and friend Clayton McDonald.

"I'm suggesting you were taking the lead on that," she said. "Is that something you recall at all?"

"No," the alleged victim replied.

The barrister also suggested the woman had asked Mr Evans to perform a sex act on her.

"I'm suggesting you were disinhibited. You lost your inhibitions because you had been drinking," the QC said.

"I don't know," the complainant replied.

The alleged victim was also questioned about two men she had sexual relationships with around the time of the alleged rape.

She denied "directing" the consensual sex and "taking the lead" with these men, as suggested by the defence.

Ched Evans signed for Chesterfield in June

Prosecution barrister, Simon Medland QC, asked the alleged victim: "It's been suggested you were happy for Ched Evans to join in and that you took the lead. Is that right?"

"No," she replied.

The jury earlier heard the alleged victim could "not remember anything" after leaving Zu Bar in Rhyl on 30 May 2011, aside from holding a pizza at one point.

In police interviews, she said she woke up the next day, naked at the Premier Inn, in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, before it later emerged she had had sex with Mr Evans.

In court, she was shown DVD footage of her leaving the bar, walking through central Rhyl and then travelling by taxi to the hotel with Mr McDonald.

Cross-examining the woman, defence counsel, Miss Khan QC, pointed out she had sent a text message to a friend during the time she claimed she had a "memory blackout".

"Having seen that footage you know that, at times when you say you have no memories, just a complete absence of consciousness, you were moving around," she said.

"I'm going to say that on occasions you were clearly making reasonable, rational decisions, yes?"

The alleged victim replied: "Yes".

Miss Khan added: "A memory blackout does not mean unconscious, not capable of moving, not capable of making decisions. Would you agree with that?"

"Yes," the woman replied.

Ched Evans was playing for Sheffield United at the time of the alleged rape

The prosecution has previously told the court the alleged victim met fellow footballer Mr McDonald while he and Mr Evans were at Zu Bar.

She was seen to be "very drunk", the prosecution said, saying she believed her drink was spiked - although not by Mr Evans or his friends.

The prosecution said she was "stumbling about" when she arrived at the Premier Inn where Mr McDonald was staying.

Mr Evans is accused of raping the woman after letting himself into the hotel room where she was having sex with Mr McDonald.

Mr McDonald, 27, previously of Manchester City and Port Vale clubs but now at non-league Redditch United, was cleared of rape at the original trial.

Mr Evans, who claims the sex was consensual, then left the hotel "surreptitiously" via a fire exit, the prosecution has said.

The trial continues.