The 16-year-old girl who accused Joseph Eubank of raping her lied to police and was more worried about losing her new mobile phone, a barrister said today (Tuesday 24 September).
But at Lewes Crown Court, the teenager told a jury: “it’s absurd to say I lied because of my phone.”
Eubank, 27, of Hill Drive, Hove, is charged with two counts of rape on the beach in Brighton, moments after having met the girl in July 2022.
She said that she was drunk on vodka after celebrating a friend’s birthday and could barely stand while he admits that they had sex but said that it was with her consent.
Today, Eubank’s barrister Kate Blackwell cross-examined the young woman, who was 16 when she found herself stranded on the seafront.
Miss Blackwell said: “You described to police how you were stumbling crossing the stones on the beach because you were drunk. I want to suggest it was because of the boots?
The teen, whose identity is protected by law, said: “I had worn those boots on the beach very often and it wasn’t down to the shoes.”
Miss Blackwell said: “To describe those boots on the morning after, you said they were 4in heels?”
The complainant said: “I think it was more like 3in.”
Miss Blackwell said: “They were high?”
The girl said: “Yes.”
Miss Blackwell said: “When you got to the quiet spot, you and he sat down on the beach and you started to kiss?”
The girls said: “I don’t remember much of what happened when we were down there. I told police we could have.”
When they started to have sex, Miss Blackwell said: “Did you tell him you didn’t want to do that?”
The girls said: “I don’t remember saying anything.”
Miss Blackwell said: “I have to suggest he didn’t force you.”
The barrister said that the girl was willing but she said: “No.”
Asked if she could explain how they happened to do what they were doing, she said: “I don’t know. I was really disoriented and as I said in interview.
“I was really confused as to what was happening. It was just a lot – and I didn’t know what to do or how to stop it.”
The girl appeared to be crying as the barrister asked her: “Do you know if you resisted him (or) said anything to him?”
She said: “I was really disorientated, worrying about my phone and where my friends were.”
Miss Blackwell said: “You were more worried about your phone?”
The girl replied: “I was worried about where it was and how to contact my parents and friends and where they were.”
Miss Blackwell said that the girl gave her phone number to Eubank, son of retired boxer Chris Eubank Sr and brother of boxer Chris Eubank Jr, after the pair had had sex – and the girl replied: “I don’t know when I gave him my number.”
The barrister said: “I want to suggest it was this point before he left?
The girl said: “I don’t remember when I gave him my phone number.”
Miss Blackwell said: “It could have been then?”
The teen replied: “I can’t give you that answer. I don’t know.”
Miss Blackwell said: “Why did you give him your phone number?”
The teen replied: “I was scared.”
Miss Blackwell said: “A short time after, he sent you a message didn’t he? It said something like, ‘Hey pup, you up for round two?’”
The girl said: “Yes.”
Miss Blackwell said: “Had you spoken about meeting up again?”
The girl replied: “I don’t remember anything I said to him on the beach.”
Miss Blackwell said: “The first person you saw after was your friend. You said some guy took me down to the bottom of the beach and I think he raped me.”
The girl said: “I was so disorientated and confused when I was down there.”
The barrister said: “You were able to meet up with your friend because you found her phone. Did you also access her Snapchat or your Snapchat?”
The girl said: “I’m not sure.”
Miss Blackwell said: “You said, I logged into my Snapchat on her phone because I was trying to text my mates. You logged into your own Snapchat on her phone?”
The girl said: “Maybe, yeah.”
Miss Blackwell said: “When you logged in, did you notice there was a message for you indicating he (Eubank) had added you to his Snapchat?”
The girl said: “No.”
Miss Blackwell said: “I have to suggest, even though you said you were very disorientated, your actions might suggest otherwise. Get into friend’s phone, make calls, send messages. You were able to do all of that?”
The teen said: “I was able to concentrate and do all of that because I was sat down under a light and focused on the phone. It wasn’t a hard task. When I was disorientated, it was dark.”
Miss Blackwell said: “Why didn’t you tell police you had given him your number?”
The girl said: “I didn’t remember doing that.”
Miss Blackwell said: “You might not have remembered it on the Sunday morning when you didn’t have your phone back. When you were interviewed, you did know. Why didn’t you tell police?
The girl said: “Because I was really scared.”
Miss Blackwell said: “By the time of your first interview, you had received that message, you deleted and blocked him?”
The girl said: “Yes.”
The barrister asked: “Do you remember being asked if you had ever met him before or had any contact with him since? That was a lie. Why did you lie to police?”
The girl said: “I was really scared. I thought I was going to be in trouble. I told them a couple of months later when I realised I wasn’t going to be in trouble.”
The barrister said: “There was nothing stopping you from saying, he messaged me. Did you know when you were deleting his message who he was?”
The girl said: “I assumed from the ‘round two’ it was him.”
Miss Blackwell said: “Why did it take you so long to go back to police and tell the truth?
The girl said: “I didn’t realise I gave him my number. I thought it would be useless information until I thought it would probably be for the best.”
When her friends found her, it was close to midnight. Miss Blackwell said: “When you met up with friends on the beach, you told them you didn’t want to go to police?”
The girl said: “I don’t remember saying that but I could have.”
Miss Blackwell said: “You knew you had been up for what happened on the beach with Mr Eubank?”
The girl said: “No.”
Miss Blackwell said: “Do you remember speaking to your friend. She asked what happened and you said, I don’t know?”
The girl said: “In my drunken state, I was trying to get my words out properly.”
Miss Blackwell said that the girl was more concerned about her missing phone than what had happened on the beach, asking: “You were really concerned you had lost your phone. What was the reason?”
The girl said: “It was a new phone. I was worried my parents were going to be angry at me for losing it.”
Miss Blackwell said: “That was in your mind from when you realised you couldn’t find it?”
The girl said: “Yeah.”
Miss Blackwell said: “Were you also panicking because you knew you had to be back at friend’s house for midnight?”
The girl said: “Yes.”
Miss Blackwell said: “Were you worried your friends would be angry?”
The girl said: “No.”
Miss Blackwell said: “Why were you worrying?”
The girl replied: “Because her parents are really strict.”
Miss Blackwell said: “The message to your mum on Instagram: ‘I’m sorry for not being able to tell you this in person. I was raped on Brighton beach and I’m pretty sure he stole my phone.’”
The girl said: “I didn’t know where my phone was. In my drunk state, I was so out of it and upset.”
Miss Blackwell said: “You knew he hadn’t stolen your phone.”
The girl said: “I didn’t know who had my phone.”
Miss Blackwell said: “You were lying about the situation. You were lying about being raped in order to get yourself out of trouble for losing your new phone.”
The girl said: “No.”
Miss Blackwell said: “You told police you lost it before you met him?”
The girl said: “I was very, very drunk. I really didn’t know what was going on.”
Miss Blackwell said: “I have to suggest to you that you were not as drunk as you told the jury and you knew exactly what you were doing?”
The girl said: “I was very drunk. I was only 16. I was extremely drunk.”
Miss Blackwell said: “You have exaggerated what happened to you in order to get yourself out of trouble with your parents.”
The girl said: “No.”
Beverly Cripps, prosecuting, said: “What did you think would happen if your parents found out you had lost your phone?”
The girl replied: “it’s absurd to say I lied because of my phone.”
The trial continues.
