Latest news with #HeavenNightclub
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Heaven security guard cleared of raping woman in his car near venue
A security guard at London's popular Heaven nightclub has been found not guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman in his car during a shift at the venue. Morenikeji Adewole, 47, of Dartford, Kent, had been charged with raping the woman near to the club in the back seat of his Lexus while she was drunk in the early hours of November 1 last year. The complainant had queued outside the club for around two hours with five friends for a Halloween-themed event but was denied entry for being too intoxicated, a trial at Southwark Crown Court was told. Adewole then walked her away from the club's entrance and picked her up in his car before driving the woman to a small road called Adelphi Terrace. A jury of eight men and four women reached a unanimous verdict on Friday after around six hours and 30 minutes of deliberations, with Adewole found not guilty of both rape and attempted rape. The defendant cried and wiped away tears with tissues in the dock as the verdicts were delivered in court. Giving evidence during the trial, Adewole claimed that there was sexual activity with the complainant but he did not have penetrative intercourse with the woman. He said that the woman had earlier told him she was 25-years-old but in the car she said she was 19 and he 'stopped immediately'. Addressing Adewole after the verdict, Judge Martin Griffith said he should still be 'absolutely ashamed' of himself for taking advantage of the drunken woman. The judge said: 'Your job was to take care of them (the club attendees). Your response to that was to go off in a car with her because your brain was driven by your groin.' The trial heard Adewole had used a false ID to get a job at the club, having been employed at Heaven under the name Olusola Julius Alabi, and was in the UK on a five-year tourist visa that did not allow him to work in the country. He had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of an identification document with improper intention relating to the offences. Judge Griffith passed concurrent six-month custodial sentences for each offence, but said the time had already been served by the defendant during his time on remand. He added a victim surcharge would also be drawn up in due course. The judge told the jury: 'Thank you very much for the obvious care and attention that you took.' Heaven nightclub, which has operated in Charing Cross for more than 40 years, was temporarily closed down by Westminster City Council after the alleged incident on public safety grounds.
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Heaven nightclub security guard cleared of raping woman during shift
A security guard at London's Heaven nightclub has been found not guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman in his car during a shift at the Adewole, 47, of Dartford, Kent, had been charged with raping the woman near the club in the back seat of his car while she was drunk in the early hours of 1 November last complainant had queued outside the venue for around two hours with five friends for a Halloween-themed event but was denied entry for being too intoxicated, a trial at Southwark Crown Court was Adewole then walked her away from the club's entrance and picked her up in his car before driving the woman to a small road called Adelphi Terrace where they had sex.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Nightclub security guard accused of rape had no right to work in UK, court hears
A Nigerian nightclub security guard accused of rape had no right to work in Britain, a court heard. Morenikeji Adewole, 47, is accused of raping a 19-year-old woman in his car near gay nightclub Heaven in central London last November. The court was previously told the alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was a Christian who was saving herself for marriage. The woman was said to have been drunk and stumbling, and that a person can be too intoxicated to give proper consent. Jurors at Southwark Crown Court have now been told the defendant was on a five-year tourist visa that did not allow him to work in Britain. False identification He also could not stay for more than six months at a time, and he returned to Nigeria when those stints were up, it was alleged. Mr Adewole, of Dartford, Kent, also gave a fake name to police when he was arrested following the alleged rape. The defendant previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of an identification document with improper intention. The defendant had been employed at Heaven under the name Olusola Julius Alabi. Officers discovered his real name through fingerprint evidence after his arrest, jurors were told. Giving evidence, the defendant said he 'used a false ID to obtain work, to get a job' and that it was 'to make a living... to save for my partner – I'm the one who paid for the rent'. He said he had come to the UK on vacation and later to find employment. Asked why he gave officers a false name, he said: 'I was panicking, that's the name people call me at my work.' 'I have water in my car' He said he had met the alleged victim months before the incident when she said hello to him at the club. On the the night of the alleged rape, she said 'hello uncle how are you', 'you look handsome' and later kissed him, he claimed. Mr Adewole added that 'almost every night' at work he has 'interactions' that can include people trying to kiss him. He said he told her to stop and she later asked him for water. 'I told her I can't go inside the club to get her water, but I have water in my car,' he added. The defendant said he then took a work break and walked with the woman and her friend to his nearby Lexus and gave the friend water, which the complainant also drank. 'Dodgy area' He said the complainant needed the toilet and he went with her to a nearby tunnel, leaving the friend. The teenager asked him to join her because 'the phone-snatcher and the bag-snatcher' operate in the 'dodgy area', he said. CCTV showed the defendant and the complainant in the tunnel and Mr Adewole claimed they kissed there. Mr Adewole claimed the teenager said she 'wanted sex from him', but that he told her this could not happen in the tunnel. The defendant then collected his car and drove the teenager to nearby Adelphi Terrace. It is alleged he then raped her in the back seat of the parked vehicle. Mr Adewole claimed there was sexual activity but he did not have penetrative intercourse with the woman. He added that the woman had earlier told him she was 25 years old, but in the car she said she was 19 and he 'stopped immediately'. Asked why, the defendant said: 'I can't date someone below 25.'
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Rape accused Heaven nightclub bouncer worked under fake name
A Heaven security guard accused of raping a 19-year-old woman was not permitted to work in the UK and used false ID to get a job at the central London nightclub, a court has Adewole, 47, of Dartford, Kent, also gave a fake name to police when he was arrested following the alleged rape, Southwark Crown Court heard on defendant is on trial accused of raping the teenager in his car near the club in the early hours of 1 November 2024, which he were previously told that the woman was visibly drunk and stumbling, and that a person can be too intoxicated to give proper consent. Mr Adewole was in the UK on a five-year tourist visa that did not allow him to work in the country, the court also meant he could not stay for more than six months at a time and he returned to Nigeria when those stints were up, jurors were defendant had been employed at Heaven under a false discovered his real name through finger print evidence after his arrest, the court heard. 'I was panicking' Giving evidence, the defendant said he "used a false ID to obtain work, to get a job" and that it was "to make a living... to save for my partner - I'm the one who paid for the rent".He said he had come to the UK on vacation and later to find why he gave officers a false name, he said: "I was panicking, that's the name people call me at my work."At the time of the alleged rape he was living in an apartment with his partner and at work supervised three other Heaven security guards, the court said he had met the complainant, who cannot be identified, months before the incident when she spoke to him by the the the night of the alleged rape she said "hello uncle how are you?", "you look handsome" and later kissed him, he Adewole added that "almost every night" at work he had "interactions" that could include people trying to kiss said he told her to stop and she later asked him for water."I told her I can't go inside the club to get her water, but I have water in my car," he defendant said he then took a work break and walked with the woman and her friend to his nearby Lexus and gave the friend water, which the complainant also said the complainant needed the toilet and he went with her to a nearby tunnel, leaving the teenager asked him to join her because "the phone snatcher and the bag snatcher" operate in the "dodgy area", he showed the defendant and the complainant in the tunnel and Mr Adewole claimed they kissed there. Mr Adewole claimed that the teenager said she "wanted sex from him" but that he told her this could not happen in the defendant then collected his car and drove the teenager to nearby Adelphi told the court he was wearing a hi-vis jacket with a body-worn camera, a walkie-talkie and an earpiece when they is alleged that he then raped her in the back seat of the parked Adewole claimed there was sexual activity but he did not have penetrative intercourse with the removed his earpiece and camera but still had the radio on at that point, he added that the woman had earlier told him she was 25 years old but in the car she said she was 19 and he "stopped immediately".Asked why, the defendant said: "I can't date someone below 25."The trial continues.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Nightclub security guard accused of raping teenager in his car around corner from bar was not allowed to work in the UK, court hears
A nightclub security guard accused of raping a 19-year-old was not permitted to work in the UK and used false ID to get the job, a court has heard. Morenikeji Adewole, 47, from Dartford, Kent, is on trial accused of raping the woman in his car near Heaven nightclub in central London in the early hours of November 1, 2024, which he denies. He had been in the UK on a five year tourist visa that did not allow him to work in the country, Southwark Crown Court heard on Tuesday. It also meant he could not stay for more than six months at a time and he returned to Nigeria when those stints were up, jurors were told. The defendant had been employed at Heaven under the name Olusola Julius Alabi and gave a fake name to police when he was arrested following the alleged rape, the court heard. He was charged for having a false Immigration Residence Permit Identity Card under the name of Olusola Julius Alabi and a false SIA (Security Industry Authority) card with the name O Alabi. Officers discovered his real name through finger print evidence after his arrest, jurors were told. Adewole previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of an identification document with improper intention. Giving evidence, the defendant said he 'used a false ID to obtain work, to get a job' and that it was 'to make a living... to save for my partner - I'm the one who paid for the rent'. He said he had come to the UK on vacation and later to find employment. Asked why he gave officers a false name, he said: 'I was panicking, that's the name people call me at my work.' At the time of the alleged rape he was living in an apartment with his partner and at work supervised three other Heaven security guards, the court heard. He said he had met the complainant, who cannot be identified, months before the incident when she said hello to him by the club. On the the night of the alleged rape she said 'hello uncle how are you', 'you look handsome' and later kissed him, he claimed. Adewole, who wore a blue suit and tie, added that 'almost every night' at work he has 'interactions' that can include people trying to kiss him. He said he told her to stop and she later asked him for water. Jurors were previously told that the woman was visibly drunk and stumbling and that a person can be too intoxicated to give proper consent. 'I told her I can't go inside the club to get her water, but I have water in my car,' he added. The defendant said he then took a work break and walked with the woman and her friend to his nearby Lexus and gave the friend water, which the complainant also drank. He said the complainant needed the toilet and he went with her to a nearby tunnel, leaving the friend. The teenager asked him to join her because 'the phone snatcher and the bag snatcher' operate in the 'dodgy area', he said. CCTV showed the defendant and the complainant in the tunnel and Adewole claimed they kissed there. Footage appeared to show her stumbling in the tunnel that was behind a shutter. Prosecutor Marion Smullen said the complainant could be seen falling and asked Adewole why he did not radio for assistance. He said the teenager had not fallen but she 'goes down' and that he would not contact welfare or a medic 'for this kind of falling'. Adewole claimed that the teenager said she 'wanted sex from him' but that he told her this could not happen in the tunnel. The defendant then collected his car and drove the teenager to nearby Adelphi Terrace. He told the court he was wearing a hi-vis jacket with a body-worn camera, a walkie-talkie and an earpiece when they arrived. It is alleged that he then raped her in the back seat of the parked vehicle. Adewole claimed there was sexual activity but he did not have penetrative intercourse with the woman. He removed his earpiece and camera but still had the radio on at that point, he said. He added that the woman had earlier told him she was 25-years-old but in the car she said she was 19 and he 'stopped immediately'. Asked why, the defendant said: 'I can't date someone below 25.' He said he has a science degree and had previously been employed as a hydraulic and civil engineer, meaning he worked on construction and roadworks. The trial continues.
