A security guard from Dartford is on trial accused of raping a 19-year-old woman in his car after she was denied entry to a central London nightclub on Halloween.
Morenikeji Adewole, who worked as a guard at Heaven nightclub in Charing Cross, allegedly assaulted the teenager in the early hours of 1 November 2024, Southwark Crown Court heard on Wednesday. He denies the charge of rape.
Timeline of Events
According to prosecutor Marion Smullen, the complainant had queued with friends for two hours for entry to the Halloween event but was turned away. CCTV footage shown to the jury allegedly captured Adewole—wearing a hi-vis jacket—escorting the intoxicated teenager away from the club.
Subsequent footage showed the pair in a tunnel behind York Buildings, with the complainant stumbling and struggling to stand. Later, Adewole returned with his Lexus, and CCTV showed the complainant entering the car.
The prosecution said the vehicle was driven to Adelphi Terrace, where the alleged rape occurred. The teenager later told police she had passed out in the back seat and woke up as the assault was taking place.
“I remember now being more conscious and the security guard was attempting to insert his male genitalia into my female genitalia,” she told the court.
She said she had been “saving herself for marriage” and felt “disgusted” and “violated.”
Defence Claims Consensual Encounter
Defence barrister Stephan Alfred claimed the teenager had consented to sex in exchange for entry to the club, which she denied. He also alleged the pair had previously shared “flirty banter” at the venue—an assertion the woman refuted, saying she had never seen Adewole before that night.
Alfred claimed the woman told her friends she had “let him have sex” with her to get into the club. She denied making those statements.
Victim’s Emotional Testimony
The woman described the moments after the incident, telling jurors:
“I felt disgusting, I felt violated, I felt so f***** off. I was so, so upset. I was bawling my eyes out.”
She said she had little memory of entering the vehicle or the subsequent fall caught on CCTV as she exited. A police interview played in court detailed how she struggled to physically resist the assault due to her level of intoxication.
Arrest and Ongoing Trial
Adewole was arrested at Heaven nightclub on 11 November 2024, after being traced through his car registration. He was found in possession of the Lexus keys and gave mostly “no comment” responses in his police interview, the court heard.
Heaven nightclub has been approached for comment.
The trial at Southwark Crown Court continues.