A former Arsenal midfielder has denied fresh rape allegations in a London court, bringing the total number of charges he is facing to seven rape counts and one sexual assault count involving four different women.
Thomas Partey, aged 32, appeared before Southwark Crown Court where he entered not guilty pleas to two additional rape charges said to have taken place in London in December 2020.
The latest charges add to an ongoing case in which he was already accused of five other rape counts and one sexual assault allegation linked to incidents reported between 2021 and 2022. He had already denied those earlier charges in court.
With the new allegations included, the total case against him now covers seven rape charges and one sexual assault charge involving four women. All charges have been denied.
During a hearing on Monday, Judge Tony Baumgartner, the Recorder of Westminster, allowed all the allegations to be handled together in a single trial process.
The court heard that the trial, which had originally been set for November this year, could now be pushed back to January 2027 due to the expanded list of charges.
Thomas Partey attended court dressed in dark grey trousers, a black jumper over a white shirt, and black shoes. He confirmed his name in court and formally entered the not guilty pleas for the two new counts.
He had not been present at a previous hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court when the new charges were first mentioned, but his legal team had already indicated that he would deny them.
He remains on bail under strict conditions, including a ban on any contact with the women involved in the case.
The midfielder joined Arsenal in 2020 from Atletico Madrid in a deal worth about Sh45m. He left the English club last June and is expected to be part of the Ghana national squad at the upcoming World Cup.
Thomas Partey is due back in court for a pre-trial hearing on 14 May as the case continues.