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Titus Bramble exclusive interview
by Luke Edwards, The Journal
Jan 28 2011
Titus Bramble has had to cope with a lot in his career, but nothing prepared him for being falsely accused of rape. In an exclusive interview with chief sports writer Luke Edwards he gives his side of the story
A KNOCK on the door woke him with a jump, but when Titus Bramble opened it he did not find housekeeping waiting to clean his room.
Minutes later, the defender had left the Vermont Hotel in Newcastle under arrest and was alone in a prison cell, struggling to understand how and why he had been accused of rape, and wondering whether his Sunderland career lay in tatters.
Bramble knew he was innocent, but the police, at that stage had only begun their inquiries and, as news of his arrest was leaked to the media, he was being judged by the general public without evidence and without a right to reply.
As he sat in his cell, waiting to be interviewed, the 29-year-old feared the worst. He was scared, isolated and desperate to speak to his family, particularly his mum Sally and his girlfriend, to tell the truth about what had happened.
Released on bail more than ten hours later, the charges were later dropped, but the damage to his reputation will take a lot longer to clear. It was the toughest experience of his life.
“Just knowing you are innocent and can’t do anything to go out there and say that to people, that’s the hardest part,” said Bramble, who has thrived at Sunderland following a controversial summer move from Wigan Athletic.
“I wanted to prove my innocence, but I was locked in a cell and I couldn’t speak to anyone. People were judging me thinking I’d done this and I’d done that.
“I couldn’t tell my family anything, or my girlfriend. They didn’t know what was going on, they just heard the rumours like everyone else. That was the most difficult thing, sitting there in the cell not able to tell anyone what had happened.
“I was asleep when the police knocked on the door. They said I’d been accused of rape. I was like, ‘are you winding me up?’ It was a tough time, but the thing with football is it gives you a distraction. It takes your mind off things playing in front of 40,000 or 50,000 people.
“The chairman, the manager and everyone at Sunderland Football Club were magnificent. They heard the evidence against me before other people and they came out strongly in my support.
“The chairman and the manager both spoke to my mum before I could. The club solicitor came to see me and she passed the information on to them.
“It was great support, I was new to the club and they might have thought: ‘what kinda guy have we signed?’ It was very important. They came out 100% behind me because they knew I was innocent. I said to the manager as soon as I got out and I told him I’d done nothing wrong. I’m an honest guy. The solicitor had already spoken to him and straight away he said he was right behind me.”
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Shame folks like this don't join or support forums like this - wonder why not?
by Luke Edwards, The Journal
Jan 28 2011
Titus Bramble has had to cope with a lot in his career, but nothing prepared him for being falsely accused of rape. In an exclusive interview with chief sports writer Luke Edwards he gives his side of the story
A KNOCK on the door woke him with a jump, but when Titus Bramble opened it he did not find housekeeping waiting to clean his room.
Minutes later, the defender had left the Vermont Hotel in Newcastle under arrest and was alone in a prison cell, struggling to understand how and why he had been accused of rape, and wondering whether his Sunderland career lay in tatters.
Bramble knew he was innocent, but the police, at that stage had only begun their inquiries and, as news of his arrest was leaked to the media, he was being judged by the general public without evidence and without a right to reply.
As he sat in his cell, waiting to be interviewed, the 29-year-old feared the worst. He was scared, isolated and desperate to speak to his family, particularly his mum Sally and his girlfriend, to tell the truth about what had happened.
Released on bail more than ten hours later, the charges were later dropped, but the damage to his reputation will take a lot longer to clear. It was the toughest experience of his life.
“Just knowing you are innocent and can’t do anything to go out there and say that to people, that’s the hardest part,” said Bramble, who has thrived at Sunderland following a controversial summer move from Wigan Athletic.
“I wanted to prove my innocence, but I was locked in a cell and I couldn’t speak to anyone. People were judging me thinking I’d done this and I’d done that.
“I couldn’t tell my family anything, or my girlfriend. They didn’t know what was going on, they just heard the rumours like everyone else. That was the most difficult thing, sitting there in the cell not able to tell anyone what had happened.
“I was asleep when the police knocked on the door. They said I’d been accused of rape. I was like, ‘are you winding me up?’ It was a tough time, but the thing with football is it gives you a distraction. It takes your mind off things playing in front of 40,000 or 50,000 people.
“The chairman, the manager and everyone at Sunderland Football Club were magnificent. They heard the evidence against me before other people and they came out strongly in my support.
“The chairman and the manager both spoke to my mum before I could. The club solicitor came to see me and she passed the information on to them.
“It was great support, I was new to the club and they might have thought: ‘what kinda guy have we signed?’ It was very important. They came out 100% behind me because they knew I was innocent. I said to the manager as soon as I got out and I told him I’d done nothing wrong. I’m an honest guy. The solicitor had already spoken to him and straight away he said he was right behind me.”
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Shame folks like this don't join or support forums like this - wonder why not?