\n<\/p>\n
Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey intends to deny two new allegations of rape, a court has heard, as the midfielder was absent from the dock for the first hearing.<\/p>\n
The 32-year-old was charged last month with two counts of raping a woman on a date in December 2020.<\/p>\n
At Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, Partey was not in court as Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram dealt with the preliminary stages of the case.<\/p>\n
The footballer had been excused from the hearing, but his lawyer, Emma Fenn, indicated he intends to plead not guilty to both charges.<\/p>\n
Partey was charged last year with five counts of rape against two women and sexual assault against a third alleged victim, following a Metropolitan Police investigation.<\/p>\n
He has already entered not guilty pleas to all of those allegations, which date back to 2021 and 2022, and is due to face trial at Southwark Crown Court in November.<\/p>\n
The court heard on Friday the two new allegations of rape came to light after the first set of charges had been revealed.<\/p>\n
Arabella MacDonald, prosecuting, told the court: “Mr Partey faces two further charges of rape dating back to December 2020.<\/p>\n
“The complainant came forward after news of Mr Partey’s other matters were widely publicised.”<\/p>\n
Judge Ikram sent the two new charges of rape – involving a fourth alleged victim – to the crown court for a hearing on April 10.<\/p>\n
In the new charges, the Ghanaian midfielder, who now plays for Spanish club Villarreal, is accused of twice raping a woman in London on a day in December 2020.<\/p>\n
The footballer, who previously lived in Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 in a transfer worth around \u00a345m, before he left the club in June last year and joined Villarreal.<\/p>\n
He has made more than 50 appearances for Ghana, including at the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.<\/p>\n
Partey was released on bail on Friday, with a condition that he does not contact the alleged victim.<\/p>\n
He is expected to attend the next court hearing in April.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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