‘I am Loic Remy’, insisted accused rapist

Wembley
A Premiership football scout told the Old Bailey today (TUES) how he challenged an accused rapist posing as Chelsea striker Loic Remy.
Paul Roche, who now works for Crystal Palace, said that Andrew Robinson repeatedly insisted he was the French international footballer during a night out.
Robinson, 37, also boasted he was earning £3.5m a year and added: ‘I earn more in a year that you will earn in a lifetime.’
Mr Roche told jurors: ‘I knew it wasn’t him and I said “You are not Loic Remy.”
‘He replied: “Yes I am, you have no idea, you haven’t got a clue.” I felt a bit intimidated.
‘I said actually I have got a clue because I’m a football scout for a professional club, which was Reading at the time.
‘He said: “I don’t care who you work for, I am Loic Remy.”‘
Loic Remy was playing for QPR at the time of the incident in July 2014 but was rumoured to be having a medical with Liverpool.
Mr Roche said: ‘I am a QPR supporter and Loic Remy plays up front for QPR so I was aware of him. I knew it wasn’t him.’
He told jurors he decided to humour Robinson and told him: ‘The fans love you.’
Robinson is said to have replied: ‘F*** the fans, I’m going.’
He also claimed he was meant to be having a medical with Liverpool but had pulled out of it.
Robinson is accused of raping a woman in her 60s at her home later that same night.
Jurors have heard he got into a taxi with Mr Roche and the alleged victim outside the Champers wine bar in Eastcote, west London, in the early hours of 6 July 2014.
Mr Roche said he was surprised when Robinson got into the cab but the woman just shrugged her shoulders.
He told jurors that he did not know who Robinson was and had only met the woman that night.
Mr Roche went into the alleged victim’s house with Robinson but left after the row over whether he was Loic Remy, the court heard.
The scout said that he warned the woman ‘You need to get out of here now’ but she replied: ‘I can’t, I live here.’
Mr Roche said he decided to leave because he thought he might end up in a fight with the Loic Remy imposter.
After Mr Roche left, Robinson asked to use the toilet before stripping off and attacking the alleged victim, it is claimed.
Jurors have heard he admits going to the victim’s home but denies attacking her.
Robinson, of (62) Rosebank Avenue, Wembley, northwest London, denies rape and the trial continues.
Ends