Former Arsenal player Thomas Partey has appeared at court in London to face further charges of rape.
The 32-year-old is on trial after denying raping two women and sexually assaulting a third.
And in February he was hit with two additional charges of raping another woman in December 2020. He has denied those also.
His defence lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, said of the new charges: ‘Thomas Partey continues to deny all charges against him. He has cooperated with the police throughout.
‘Given there are ongoing legal proceedings, there will be no further comment.’
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.
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.
In February, the two new allegations of rape came to light after the first set of charges had been revealed.
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.
Arabella MacDonald, prosecuting, told the court in February: ‘Mr Partey faces two further charges of rape dating back to December 2020.
‘The complainant came forward after news of Mr Partey’s other matters were widely publicised.’
Judge Ikram sent the two new charges of rape – involving a fourth alleged victim – to the crown court for this hearing at Southwark Crown Court.
The footballer, who previously lived in Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 in a transfer worth around £45million, before he left the club in June last year after his contract came to an end.
More to follow.
