Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
The 32-year-old appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday morning, just hours after appearing for Villarreal against Tottenham in the Champions League at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday. Partey left Arsenal upon the expiry of his contract in the summer after spending five years at Emirates Stadium.
The Ghana international allegedly carried out the offences between 2021 and 2022, the Metropolitan Police previously said. Partey has been charged with two counts of rape of one woman, three counts of rape to a second woman and one count of sexual assault of a third woman.
During the hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, Partey pleaded not guilty to all six counts he is accused of. He spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and his not guilty pleas during the short hearing.
At the conclusion of Wednesday’s hearing, Judge Christopher Hehir told Partey: “Your trial will take place at this court on November 2 of next year, 2026. I appreciate that is quite a long way in advance. As you may appreciate the crown courts have a huge backlog of work which means that trials do take a long time to come on.
Because you have bail effectively you are sitting behind a queue of people in prison who are waiting to be tried.”
The judge granted bail on the same conditions as Partey was placed under at a previous hearing – that he cannot contact any of the three women and must notify police of any permanent changes of address or international travel.
The former Atletico Madrid man’s lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, has previously insisted her client “denies all the charges against him”.
She added: “He has fully cooperated with the police and CPS throughout their three-year investigation. He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name. Given that there are now ongoing legal proceedings, my client is unable to comment further.”
Partey was a key member of Mikel Arteta’s squad last season. He made 52 appearances in all competitions and contributed with four goals and three assists. The Ghanaian signed from Atletico Madrid in 2020 for a fee of £45million and he went on to make 167 appearances for the club.
Partey, who previously gave his address as Potters Bar, was granted bail at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last month with the conditions that he cannot contact any of the three women and must notify police of any permanent changes of address or international travel.
An Arsenal spokesperson previously said: “The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings, the club is unable to comment on the case.”
