Partey intends to deny two charges of rape, court told

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard on Friday that former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey will contest two fresh counts of rape alleged to have taken place in December 2020. The 32-year-old Ghana international, now with Villarreal, was excused from attending the brief hearing, but his solicitor, Emma Fenn, formally indicated not-guilty pleas to both charges.

The two counts relate to one woman and surfaced after the Metropolitan Police’s earlier investigation became public. Prosecutor Arabella MacDonald told the court the complainant came forward once Partey’s initial legal difficulties were widely reported. These earlier proceedings involve five counts of rape against two different women and one count of sexual assault against a third, all of which Partey has already denied. A trial on those allegations is scheduled for November at Southwark Crown Court.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram sent the new matters to Southwark Crown Court for a plea and case-management hearing on 10 April. Partey, who joined Arsenal from Atlético Madrid in 2020 in a deal worth around £45 million and left the London club last June, was granted conditional bail that prohibits contact with the alleged victim. He has earned more than 50 caps for Ghana and featured at both the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.