Shop owner accused of raping global superstar’s niece ‘was told the star was as tight as they come by alleged victim’

A MAN dubbed "The Playboy Butcher" accused of drugging and raping a global superstar's relative claims she told him her uncle was "tight" - because he never bought her a birthday card.

Matthew Thomas denies plying the married mum's red wine with Rohypnol and raping her at her home while her son was asleep in the next room.

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But the 52-year-old denies the charges, claiming he had consensual sex with the famous star's niece after months of flirting in the organic butcher's shop he used to run in East Sussex.

Thomas today told Lewes Crown Court that he was invited to the victim's flat before they had sex on September 23, 2008.

He said: "She started coming in once a week, then as our friendship grew it was often twice a day.

"It was about two to three months in this build up to three night in question.

"I was very much attracted to her, there was an obvious mutual attraction between us.

"She had her own stool to sit on whilst we chatted.

"She phoned the shop that day after her visit and she asked me what I was doing that evening and said do you fancy coming round to my house to eat the food.

"I said what about your husband, she said he was away, but her son would be there.

"When I got there she'd put out a lot of nibbles, like olives, salami, that sort of stuff.

"She had bought it earlier that day in the shop.

"I was quite a heavy smoker back then and she came out and put her arms around me from behind to keep me warm.

"It was quite a chilly evening and I was just wearing a shirt.

";She must have come out with me a least six times.

"Every time we came back in she would put her legs on top of mine, it was kind of the ritual of the evening.

"We spoke about her father and she showed me some photographs, it was very interesting and we had a lovely evening.

"We had already ascertained we were going to be having a nice evening.

"I didn't know what level and how quickly it was going to progress."

He told jurors they had oral sex on the sofa, then full sex in the bedroom.

He added: "She made reference to the fact she didn't normally do that, but that she enjoyed it.

"When I left the bathroom she was in the bedroom completely naked.

"She beckoned me into the bedroom and we had full sex on the bed.

"She was leading everything."

Thomas also claimed the woman told him she never got a birthday card from her famous uncle.

He said: "She made reference to never even getting a birthday or Christmas card from him.

"She mentioned wanting to have better things one day and I said something about tapping her uncle up and she said 'no he is as tight as they come'."

After the sex, he claims he left before her husband returned.

Thomas said: "At around 3am I decided to leave, I wasn't particularly comfortable, we never discussed where her husband was and I decided to leave.

"The next day she text me to say she didn't want to ruin her marriage and told me not to contact her again.

"I was quite surprised given the particularly pleasant evening we'd had.

"I didn't expect that.

"I only saw her once again, she was with her son in Waitrose and she just blanked me.

"I assumed she just didn't want to speak to me so I respected her wishes."

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Four former girlfriends of Thomas gave evidence for his defence saying he was very anti drugs after his brother Philip died of an overdose.

Josella Scriven, who was 15 years younger than the defendant when they lived together from 2010 to 2013, said: "He did have a reputation, he had a nickname - the Playboy Butcher - he always had attention from the ladies, he's a good looking man.

"As a partner I asked him about his past and there were no secrets between us.

"I wasn't sure about dating him at first because he's a bit of a charmer so I was wary, but he was very respectful, I never felt pressured.

"Before we went out I was a friend of his daughter and I was horrifically drunk after a Christmas Eve party.

"I stayed round his house and felt very safe and looked after."

Cross-examining the defendant, Bill Saunders QC, prosecuting, said: "There's a couple of differences in what you're saying now, to what you told the police in your interview.

"You said she was going to cook you dinner, but now you are saying it was snacks.

"You had a job to do how were you able to run a shop with all this talking?"

Thomas replied: "It wasn't a problem, it was a small shop, it was my business I could do what I wanted.

"I had just been arrested and didn't expect to be accused of drugging and raping someone so I might have not used the correct terminology.

"She did tell me who she was related to before the night in question.

"But we have a lot famous customers so it was quite normal."

Mr Saunders added: "Right next to the lounge was this boy's bedroom.

"Did it not occur to you to go into the bedroom?"

Thomas said: "I felt a certain amount of guilt.

"It should have occurred to both of us.

";I think we drank the best part of two bottles of wine.

"I absolutely didn't spike her drink or put anything in it.

"She was tipsy but I don't think she was so drunk she wouldn't remember what happened.

"I have no idea why she would make these allegations."

The court also heard the defendant has a boat called Snoop Dogg.

Karen Goodyer, who was the only other employee at the shop, as a butcher's assistant, said: "She seemed to get on with Matthew and came into the shop a lot, probably about once a week.

"It was more than just general chatting, it was very flirty, there was a lot of batting eyelids and giggling.

"She would have a chair to sit on while she was in the shop.

"They made it clear they wanted to have sex.
"I joked I should leave the room so they could do the deed.

"Either the next day or the day after he went round he said he went to hers for dinner and they had sex.
"He said her son was there so it was a bit weird because they had to keep quiet.

"We didn't see her again and I just thought she'd had sex as a married woman and wanted to made a go of he marriage so decided to stay away from the shop."

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But the prosecution say Thomas lied about how the defendant came to be at her flat and that they had consensual sex.

Bill Saunders QC, prosecuting, said: "Whatever the outcome this is a sad case and a difficult case.

"It's difficult for the victim and its difficult for Mr Thomas who is a man of good character, he's never been in trouble with the police.

"But you'll appreciate that's no defence.

"In stark contrast to that good character on September 23 in 2008 he overstepped the mark in no uncertain terms.

"A person who is slipped a drug and performs sex in the manner she has described is plainly not having consensual sex.

"Why would the victim be interested in bringing this complaint all these years later if it was just some kind of fling?

"It's one thing to feel guilty but it's another thing to go to the police years later and make an allegation of rape.

"That doesn't make sense.

"You would think that as time goes by she's less likely to be thinking about it or feeling guilty.

"This is a point strongly in favour of the prosecution.

"We've all had those nights where we think did I really do that, did I really drink that much?

"But this was another level completely.

"The account the victim describes is consistent with the effects of Rohypnol.

"This is a situation of drugging and rape.

"That's why she went to the doctor and asked about sexually transmitted diseases.

"She needed emotional support and just couldn't cope.

"She tried to bury it but couldn't deal with it.

"It's only when the defendant, unluckily for him, moored his boat right outside her home that it all came flooding back.

"That type of thing doesn't just go away."

Thomas originally faced two counts of rape, but on the third day of his trial jurors were told that an additional count of rape would be added to the indictment that related to sex in the bedroom.

The trial continues.
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