Four male students stand trial accused of rape at university ball

Four male students are standing trial for allegedly raping a woman during an annual university ball.

The alleged rape took place during the End of Year ball at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, in May 2014.

The four male students—Thady Duff, Leon Mahon, Patrick Foster, and James Martin—deny all the charges they face, which were all allegedly committed against the same woman.

The jury at Gloucester Crown Court, made up of six men and six women, were sworn in this week and told that the prosecution, led by barrister Fiona Elder, would open their case on Wednesday the 30th of March.

They were also told that they would be shown graphic video footage as evidence in the trial. Judge Jamie Tabor QC addressed the jury: “This case concerns sexual activity on a ball night at the Royal Agricultural University. Some of that was filmed.

“This is going to be what we call adult pornographic material—very short in length—to be watched.

“If any of you feel uncomfortable with that please put your hand up.”

Duff, 22, of Swindon, Wiltshire, denies three charges of rape. He also denies one charge of sexual assault against the same woman, an act that was allegedly carried out in October 2013.

Mahon, 22, of Cirencester, denies three charges of rape and two of assault by penetration. Foster, 22, of Colchester, Essex, denies one charge of rape and two of assault by penetration. Martin, 20, of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, denies one charge of rape.

Founded in 1845, the Royal Agricultural University was the first agricultural college in the English-speaking world, and in 2015 it had a student body of 1,185 students, studying across 30 undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes.

Formerly known as the Royal Agricultural College, it gained university status in 2013.

In the same year, it was named the safest university in the South West by the Complete University Guide.

The trial continues.