Tennis coach 'spiked drink then raped girl'

A tennis coach raped a former pupil after plying her with alcohol and luring her back to his flat, the Old Bailey heard today.

Marc Lewis, 26, had been trusted for several years by the parents of the 15-year-old, the jury was told.

She had been a successful schools and county player but stopped playing a year before the attack, the court heard.

Lewis found out that she had quarrelled with her parents and left home, so he rang her mobile phone. They arranged a meeting in August 2002, when he took her to a restaurant and allegedly spiked her drink with alcohol.

Then, on the pretext of watching a video with friends, he took her to his Edgware flat, said Nina Crinnion, prosecuting. But the flat was empty and he stripped and raped her. Lewis has pleaded not guilty to rape and told the police that he and the teenager had a row.

Ms Crinnion told the court that in 2002 the alleged victim had had a typical "teenage rebellion" and left home temporarily to stay with a friend.

"Lewis learned of these difficulties by speaking to people at a tennis tournament and decided that he would contact the girl," said Ms Crinnion. "He offered support and a chance to talk."

The girl welcomed the offer, but "alarm bells started ringing" when Lewis told her to dress up and asked if she could "get into bars".

Despite her fears, the girl agreed to meet Lewis at Golders Green Tube station. "But alarm bells started ringing again when Lewis started to embrace her. In her mind he held on a little bit too long, which made her feel uncomfortable," said Ms Crinnion. "Lewis took her to a restaurant and bought her drinks which the girl thought were non-alcoholic, but later on she realised, when she began to feel tipsy, that there must have been alcohol in them.

Ms Crinnion said that having hurried the girl through the meal, Lewis offered to take her to his home to watch a video with friends. She told the jury that the girl went along with the plan because she felt she had no option.

When they got there, the home was empty but Lewis said his friends would arrive soon. He sat next to her on the sofa, making her feel uncomfortable and began stroking her back.

She demanded he phone a cab, which he reluctantly did, but then came back to the sofa and forced her into sex.

He only stopped when he was interrupted by the taxi driver ringing the doorbell and the girl fled.

Lewis gave her two £20 notes "as a thank you for the evening, for the cab and credit for her mobile phone".

The girl reported the attack to the police but later withdrew her statement, saying she did not want to go ahead.

But the case was reopened and, in June last year, Lewis was arrested.

He told police that he had met the girl but denied plying her with alcohol. He said she wanted to go back to his home because she wanted to talk privately. Once there, an argument had broken out. He denied any sexual contact, said Ms Crinnion.

The case continues.