A former frontman for the iconic 80s band Spandau Ballet thanked a woman for being 'cool about it' after she calmly talked him down from raping her while she slept, a court has heard.
The Alleged Incident in a Thailand Hotel
Wood Green Crown Court was told the alleged victim awoke in daylight in a Phuket hotel room to find Ross Davidson, 37, attempting to have sex with her without her consent and without a condom. The tourist, who had met Davidson recently on Tinder, described herself as 'naive and very trusting'.
The jury heard the incident occurred in December 2019 after the pair had consensual drunk sex the night before. The woman said she had reached a 'trust point' where she believed people would respect her boundaries, not expecting someone to 'mess with me' while she was asleep.
Upon waking to what she called a 'dangerous situation', the woman said Davidson seemed surprised she had woken up. She described his eyes as 'weird' and feared he might become violent. 'I thought 'oh my God', I might die. I did not know what he was capable of,' she told police in a video interview.
A Calm Response to Defuse Danger
Fearing physical harm, the woman deliberately spoke in an easy, calm voice to de-escalate the situation. She told him he needed to ask for consent and highlighted he was not wearing a condom. Davidson, from Finchley, north London, was initially 'very tense' but became 'very calm' as she communicated she was not going to freak out.
It was then, the court heard, that Davidson said: 'Thanks for being cool about it.' The woman recalled he had frozen with a 'scary look on his face' when she first awoke.
Voyeurism Charge and a Second Allegation
The prosecution stated detectives later found video footage on Davidson's phone showing the same woman lying 'at least half naked' and unresponsive in the hotel room, being fondled. She had no knowledge the video existed until informed by police, describing the discovery as 'disembodying' and 'disempowering'.
Davidson has pleaded guilty to a charge of voyeurism in December 2019 relating to this footage. However, he denies the attempted rape and sexual assault of the woman in Thailand.
He also denies a separate charge of raping a different woman in London in March 2015. His defence counsel, Charlotte Newell KC, stated Davidson claims there was 'no sex at all' with that woman as he was not sexually attracted to her.
Regarding the Thailand allegations, Davidson denies attempting rape and claims any sexual touching was consensual, with the woman merely pretending to be asleep.
The Aberdeen-born performer, who used the stage name Ross Wild and starred in 'We Will Rock You', is currently on trial facing charges of:
- Rape (March 2015)
- Attempted rape (December 2019)
- Sexual assault (December 2019)
The trial at Wood Green Crown Court continues.
