A former frontman for the iconic 80s band Spandau Ballet has told a jury that allegations he attempted to rape a woman in Thailand are 'absolutely false'. Ross Davidson, 37, is on trial at Wood Green Crown Court in London, where he has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault.
Claims of a 'Whirlwind' Holiday Romance
The court heard that Davidson, who used the stage name Ross Wild, met the woman, a tourist, on Tinder in Thailand in December 2019. In a police interview read to the jury, Davidson described a 'debaucherous, fun, and free' few days filled with consensual sex, alcohol, and drugs. He said they discussed their 'kinks and fantasies' and that the woman had told him she was in love with him, a feeling he said was not reciprocated.
Davidson told detectives the pair had a 'sex-fuelled night' which was completely consensual, and that he had even gone out to buy more condoms. He questioned the allegation, asking why the woman would spend the following day sightseeing and on a beach trip with him if he had tried to rape her the previous night.
Contradictory Accounts of a Hotel Room Incident
The prosecution alleges that the woman woke up in a Phuket hotel room to find Davidson trying to have sex with her without her consent or a condom. She told the jury that she calmly talked him down and that he later said, 'Thanks for being cool about it.'
Davidson flatly denied this account, calling it 'a fictitious moment' that 'never, ever happened'. He insisted that their entire interaction was mutual and that there were photographs and 'messages of adoration' exchanged between them.
Voyeurism Charge and Further Allegations
The trial took a significant turn when the prosecution revealed that police found a video on Davidson's phone from the Thailand trip. It showed the woman, 'at least half naked' and snoring, being fondled while she appeared to be asleep and unresponsive. The court heard the woman was unaware the video existed until police informed her in 2023.
While denying the charges of attempted rape and sexual assault against this woman, Davidson has pleaded guilty to a voyeurism charge relating to the same incident in December 2019. He has also pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of raping a different woman in London in March 2015. The trial continues.
