Alleged rape victim of Harrogate Town player felt like ‘she had been hit by bus’

The woman alleged to have been raped by Harrogate Town footballer Simon Lenighan and his friend Nathan Campbell said she felt like she had been “hit by a bus” when the police told her about the graphic video they found on Campbell’s phone, a court was told.
rossparry.co.uk / Tom Maddick
05/12/13 
Picture showsLeeds United youth team player  Simon Lenighan, arriving at Doncaster Crown Court to faces charges of raping a women in a Leeds city centre hotel and filming the attack. 
SEE COPY RPYRAPErossparry.co.uk / Tom Maddick
05/12/13 
Picture showsLeeds United youth team player  Simon Lenighan, arriving at Doncaster Crown Court to faces charges of raping a women in a Leeds city centre hotel and filming the attack. 
SEE COPY RPYRAPE
rossparry.co.uk / Tom Maddick 05/12/13 Picture showsLeeds United youth team player Simon Lenighan, arriving at Doncaster Crown Court to faces charges of raping a women in a Leeds city centre hotel and filming the attack. SEE COPY RPYRAPE

Speaking to police in video interview, she said: “Nothing really entered my mind, it was just pure shock, being hit by a bus.”

Describing the video, she said: “A video that had me passed out, not with it, just laid out in the bed.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She said the video was really graphic and showing all parts of her. I wasn’t really aware what was going on,” she added.

Speaking about the days after the alleged attack, the woman said: “I was just a kind of a shaking mess state for about four days.”

She also told the court she had a panic attack while shopping in town and had to be taken home.

In the weeks following the alleged incident at the hotel, in August 2012, Campbell had been in touch with the woman, telling her nothing bad had happened at the hotel, the court heard.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The jury was told that Campbell told the woman he had taken a video but it wasn’t anything embarrassing - and he asked her to drop the case.

Campbell had allegedly told her he was a footballer and this had the woman’s allegations had ruined his career.

He told her all that happened in the hotel room was she had given him oral sex, Doncaster Crown Court heard.

Lenighan, 20 of Parliament Terrace, Harrogate, was a youth player with Leeds United when he is alleged to have carried out the attack in August 2012.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He denies three charges of rape and one of perverting the course of justice.

Campbell, of Byron Street, Bradford, denies three charges of rape and one of perverting the course of justice.

Campbell has previously pleaded guilty to a sexual assault of the woman in the hotel room.

The trial continues.