Angel Torres trial: Former Central Coast Mariners player found not guilty on all charges
A jury has taken less than three hours to deliver a verdict in the trial of a former professional A-League player accused of sexual assault.
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A jury has taken less than three hours to deliver a verdict in the trial of a former professional A-League player accused of sexual assault.
Colombian international former Central Coast Mariners player Angel Torres, 24, was on trial at Gosford District Court for five charges, including aggravated sexual intercourse without consent, sexual intercourse without consent, intimidation, and two counts of common assault.
On Friday afternoon, a jury consisting of seven women and five men found Torres not guilty on all charges, following the trial which lasted for two weeks.
In closing submission prior to the jury verdict, the Crown said the victim was a reliable and credible witness who found herself in a very difficult situation.
Torres’ barrister said the reverse was true, that his client was reliable and had not wavered in his account of what happened from the moment he first spoke to police until he gave evidence in the witness box.
He said it was the complainant’s story which “evolved” and changed over time and that she was motivated to protect her reputation because she was scared “people would judge her” for going home with the soccer player.
He said she started sobering up and had a “change of heart” but Torres’ actions were always motivated out of “concern”.
He said Torres came from a “dangerous country” where it wasn’t safe to be out at 3am, let alone a young woman and his client was pleading with her to let him get her home safely.
Earlier in the week, Torres, through his interpreter, told the court about the events that transpired last year at a nightclub on The Central Coast last year.
The court heard Torres went to Sirens nightclub with four other Central Coast Mariners players.
“We went upstairs next to the sofa, had some beers. After that I made contact with a girl,” Torres said.
“We made eye contact, we talked through a translator, we danced, we kissed, and we talked.”
During a cross examination, Torres was asked by the Crown prosecutor Andrew Lynch if he used the woman’s belt that she was wearing, to loop around her neck.
He denied the allegations.
He was then asked by the Mr Lynch if he pushed the woman’s head towards his penis, and also denied the allegation.
He was also asked if he inserted his fingers into the woman’s vagina on a second occasion, which he denied.
Torres also told the court that he did not pin the woman to the floor, and that a conversation never took place where he allegedly said the woman would ruin his career.
“We didn’t have such a conversation, I never said anything like that,” Torres said.
“I was never worried about my career … what I was trying to do was help her and talk to her about it”
The crown also asked Torres if he was angry because she had rejected him, to which Torres replied he disagreed.
In April 2024, The Central Coast Mariners stood down Torres and imposed a no-fault suspension.
At the time, Torres was the leading goalscorer for The Central Coast Mariners prior to his suspension.
A spokesman for The Central Coast Mariners said Angel Torres is no longer a Central Coast Mariners player as his contract with the club expired on June 30th, 2024.
“The club will not be making any statement or further comment”.
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