2 days ago
Former Love Island star tells court businessman accused of 'beating the c*** out of his girlfriend' at £1.5million home was 'protective and caring' when they dated
A Love Island beauty has described a businessman accused of savagely assaulting his ex-girlfriend at his £1.5million London home as 'very kind' and 'never aggressive'. when they dated.
Francesca Allen, 28, who shot to fame on the 2019 series of the ITV2 dating show, offered a character reference for bespoke tailor Ricky Lawrence, 33, as he stands trial for allegedly attacking former Miss Universe GB finalist Chloe Othen, 34.
Lawrence is accused of brutally beating Ms Othen after inviting her to his plush Knightsbridge apartment via text on 15 October 2022.
The influencer, who boasts 284,000 Instagram followers, told jurors he 'beat the c*** out of her' and later sent chilling texts threatening: 'I will do everything in my power to f**k you up.'
The court heard the former couple had dated for six months between December 2021 and May 2022, but continued to see each other sporadically.
Ms Othen's current partner, Hatton Garden jeweller Bora Guccuk, 41, claimed he phoned her on the night of the alleged assault but Lawrence answered and threatened to stab them both.
Lawrence, however, has denied the claims, insisting in court that it was actually Mr Guccuk who was responsible for Ms Othen's injuries.
Ricky Lawrence (above) is accused of pinning down, punching and repeatedly biting Chloe Othen at his £1.5million Knightsbridge home on October 15, 2022
In a character statement read at Aldersgate House Crown Court, Love Island alum Ms Allen, who appeared on the show alongside social media stars Molly-Mae Hague and Maura Higgins, painted a very different picture of the man in the dock.
Ms Allen, from Essex, told the court she dated Lawrence for around a year back in 2018.
'As a boyfriend Lawrence was very kind,' she said.
'He always wanted to do things for me, he always wanted to do fun things together.
'He has a lovely close relationship with his parents and grandparents and I could tell he wanted that same relationship with a partner.
'I've never known Ricky to be aggressive, he would never shout back at me, he would always calm me down.
'I've never seen him be violent towards anybody and this wouldn't change if he was drinking.
'He is just always happy; I've never seen him let things get him down.
'He has a lot of female friends…in my experience he has always been protective and caring towards them.'
Another woman, Daisy Mitchell, who told the court she had known Lawrence for two decades and dated him in 2016, also vouched for his character.
'We never had arguments,' she said. 'He was never aggressive or possessive.
'I have nothing bad to say about him.'
Lawrence, who owns a high-end tailoring business in one of London's most exclusive postcodes, strongly denies the prosecution's claim that he has a 'bad temper' and likes to get his own way.
He has pleaded not guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The trial continues, with jurors expected to begin deliberations later today.
