Britain's Got Talent finalist raped two women, grabbed them by the neck and refused to wear a condom, court hears

Daily Mail​

11-05-2025

A former Britain's Got Talent finalist raped two young women in three months while studying opera at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music, a court heard.
Andrew Johnston, 30, allegedly gripped his victims' by the throat during sex and refused to wear a condom.
Bearded Johnston, who was studying for a two-year diploma in opera, denies two counts of rape and one of sexual assault.
The former choirboy was 13 when he finished third on the second series of the ITV talent show in 2008.
Johnston received a £1m record deal with Syco Music, a label owned by Simon Cowell, and his album 'One Voice', released in September 2008, made it to number five in the UK Charts.
Wearing a smart black suit he listened intently as Maryam Syed, prosecuting, said: 'In 2008, Mr Johnston competed as a singer in the television programme Britain's Got Talent, and he did quite well in that programme.
'At the time of the allegations Mr Johnston was a student at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London.
'Mr Johnston was competing a two year diploma in opera.'
Describing the first alleged assault the prosecutor said: 'The defendant removed the condom he had been wearing and the complainant noticed the change in sensation.
'She repeatedly told Mr Johnston to stop having sex with her but he made no attempt to withdraw his penis.
'The complainant then described to police that Mr Johnston then, she says, placed one hand on her neck and the other was pinning her down.
'She repeatedly told Mr Johnston on multiple occasions to stop, she managed to free her hands and slam them onto her chest.
'She told police that she began panicking and he, Mr Johnston, was not listening to her.
'She then goes on to describe, as you will see that the defendant Mr Johnston became more forceful, slamming the headboard into the wall.'
Ms Syed said the complainant 'had explained to Johnston from the outset...that she did not like certain things in sexual activity because of previous bad experiences and she specifically said things like hands around the throat'.
Johnston 'groped' the woman's bottom at a bar in central London three months later, the court heard.
The former choirboy was 13 when he finished third on the second series of the ITV talent show in 2008
'Whilst he was there he had groped her bottom, which we say is sexual touching, dragged her by the arm and had refused to leave.
'In order to help her move him she had walked him out of the bar onto the street.
'At that point, he continued touching her, he verbally abused her, he grabbed her shoulders and her forcibly kissed her on the lips.'
Ms Syed said the singer raped the second complainant after taking her to a 'sex club' in central London.
'She explained that she had asked the defendant to wear a condom which she had provided and she said the vaginal intercourse took place immediately with almost no foreplay.'
Ms Syed added: 'She described how she started to feel the defendant's hands around her neck, and no matter how many times she removed them, she said the defendant Mr Johnston kept on putting his hands back around her throat.
'She told police she made multiple attempts to remove his hands but he did not remove them.
'He then stopped and removed the condom.'
Johnston continued having unprotected sex with the woman, it was said.
Johnston, of Newtown Road, Carlisle, denies two charges of rape and sexual assault on a female.
The trial continues.