Terrigal: Mariners Colombian soccer star Angel Torres applies for legal costs after rape acquittal

Former Central Coast Mariners international Angel Torres would have pleaded guilty to intimidation if police dropped rape charges, a court has heard. Read the full details here.

Central Coast Mariners international marquee player Angel Torres, 25, of Colombia, outside Gosford District Court where he was acquitted of raping a woman at Terrigal in 2024. Picture: NewsLocal

Colombian goal scorer Angel Torres would have pleaded guilty to intimidation if police dropped rape allegations against the then 24-year-old, a court has heard.

Torres is seeking an unspecified amount in court costs — estimated to be in the tens of thousands of dollars — after he was acquitted by a jury of all five charges following a two week trial.

Appearing on Torres’ behalf, barrister William Brewer faced Gosford District Court on Thursday where he made an application for legal costs.

He told the court Torres’ defence counsel “made an offer” last year to plead guilty to one count of intimidation if police withdrew four other charges including aggravated sexual intercourse without consent, sexual intercourse without consent and two counts of common assault.

Mr Brewer said police were “put on notice” back then that there were so many inconsistencies in the Crown case that if they did not accept Torres’ plea offer he would make a costs application after the trial.

Torres’ barrister said police were warned he would be making a costs application. (Photo: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Torres pleaded not guilty to the five charges and sat through a two-week trial which began on March 24.

The Crown alleged Torres met a young woman at Sirens nightclub in March last year before bringing her home to his Terrigal unit where he sexually assaulted her.

Sirens nightclub in Terrigal

But in the end it took a jury of seven women and five men less than three hours to acquit him on all charges.

Mr Brewer said the Crown’s case was so fundamentally flawed it should not have brought it to trial.

He said the victim gave various unsubstantiated and differing accounts of the night to police, her father, her brother and friends, which left “a plethora of inconsistencies in her evidence”.

Torres always maintained his innoence. Picture: NewsLocal

Mr Brewer said police should have had concerns about the veracity of her story after they spoke to Torres the first time and realised his English was not “advanced enough” to say the things she said he told her including “you’re going to ruin my career”.

The Crown prosecutor opposed the costs application and said the young woman gave a “compelling account” of what transpired and it was “quintessentially a jury case” to determine who was telling the truth.

He said the court could not be satisfied the Crown was unreasonable in pursuing the proceedings.

Judge Tanya Bright will deliver her judgement on June 27.