14 February 2024 , 10:14
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Former Manchester United academy player John Cofie and a friend both raped a woman after a night out, a trial has been told.
Cofie is accused alongside friend Nathan Stuart of the alleged attack in 2019. The men, both aged 31, deny the charges of rape.
The trial of the two men is being heard at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court. According to the Manchester Evening News, the opening statements from prosecuting lawyer Vanessa Thomson refer to the alleged victim as being 25 years of age at the time.
The alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is said to have met the two men during a night out with a friend in Manchester. According to the opening statements, she had known Stuart for "many, many years" previously.
John Cofie was an FA Youth Cup winner with Manchester United (Manchester United via Getty Images)
Cofie left United in 2013 without playing a competitive first-team game (Corbis via Getty Images)"She drank alcohol and as the night progressed, she was later to tell the police that memories of the evening disappeared," prosecutor Thomson told jurors. "She recalled having a cigarette with her friend outside one pub and the next memory was being picked up the following morning by her father from Nathan Stuart's home.
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"Her disappearance that night caused consternation amongst her friend and family. When she was picked up by her father, she felt incredibly disorientated, she felt ill and she did not know what had happened over the course of the night before.
"She even went to hospital because she felt so poorly and had no answers as to why." Thomson also told the jury both Stuart and Cofie claimed they had sex with the woman but that it was consensual, "[The alleged victim] has no memory of these events due to intoxication and therefore did not have the capacity to consent," Thomson added
Cofie (right) played abroad after leaving Manchester United (Manchester United via Getty Images)Cofie, an England Under-17 international, came through the ranks at United after joining from Burnley at the age of 14, becoming the youngest ever player to command a fee of £1m or more from the Old Trafford club. He never made a senior appearance for the Premier League side, but was part of the squad which beat Sheffield United to win the FA Youth Cup in 2011.
The forward left Old Trafford in 2013 after loan spells with Royal Antwerp, Sheffield United And Notts County. He joined Barnsley after leaving United, and also spent time with Norwegian side Molde and Crawley Town - then in League One - before dropping down to non-league.
He also spent time in Northern Ireland, Australia and Philippines before returning to England in his twenties. Most recently, he was on the books of New Mills FC, who spent last season in the North West Counties League.
Cofie denies three counts of rape and Stuart denies two counts of rape. The trial continues.