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A former West Ham footballer punched a young woman in the face and sexually assaulted her, a court has been told.
Ex Premier League defender Manuel da Costa, 25, allegedly grabbed the crotch of the 21-year-old in Faces nightclub in Gants Hill, Essex, in the early hours of October 17 last year.
Snaresbrook Crown Court heard the player - now with Lokomotiv Moscow - admitted hitting the victim but denied sexually assaulting her.
Miss Sonya Saul, prosecuting, told the eight women and four men of the jury: "Manuel da Costa had absolutely no reason or right to touch her in that way."
A police video interview with the victim was played to court in which she said of Da Costa that "he had a smug look on his face" during the alleged assault.
She was enjoying a night out with four friends and arrived at the club at 10.30pm. As the evening wore on, the woman sat in a booth because her feet were sore, then went to look for her friends.
As she made her way through the club, she said the Portuguese player reached out and grabbed her between the legs before rubbing her left breast.
Reliving the ordeal - and alleging the French-born star also hit two of her friends - she said: "Someone grabbed my hand. He grabbed my downstairs and grabbed my boob. I pushed his face to get him off me. As I have turned around, he has punched the left side of my face."
The victim said she felt "violated" by the assault. Da Costa's friends tried to intervene but he punched her again, she said.
The trial, which is scheduled to last four days, will continue on Tuesday at 10.15am.
What the fcuk is it with Faces and footballers and trouble
A former West Ham footballer punched a young woman in the face and sexually assaulted her, a court has been told.
Ex Premier League defender Manuel da Costa, 25, allegedly grabbed the crotch of the 21-year-old in Faces nightclub in Gants Hill, Essex, in the early hours of October 17 last year.
Snaresbrook Crown Court heard the player - now with Lokomotiv Moscow - admitted hitting the victim but denied sexually assaulting her.
Miss Sonya Saul, prosecuting, told the eight women and four men of the jury: "Manuel da Costa had absolutely no reason or right to touch her in that way."
A police video interview with the victim was played to court in which she said of Da Costa that "he had a smug look on his face" during the alleged assault.
She was enjoying a night out with four friends and arrived at the club at 10.30pm. As the evening wore on, the woman sat in a booth because her feet were sore, then went to look for her friends.
As she made her way through the club, she said the Portuguese player reached out and grabbed her between the legs before rubbing her left breast.
Reliving the ordeal - and alleging the French-born star also hit two of her friends - she said: "Someone grabbed my hand. He grabbed my downstairs and grabbed my boob. I pushed his face to get him off me. As I have turned around, he has punched the left side of my face."
The victim said she felt "violated" by the assault. Da Costa's friends tried to intervene but he punched her again, she said.
The trial, which is scheduled to last four days, will continue on Tuesday at 10.15am.
What the fcuk is it with Faces and footballers and trouble
