FOOTBALLER BROTHER OF SUNDERLAND'S TITUS BRAMBLE JAILED FOR RAPE
The brother of Sunderland footballer Titus Bramble has been sentenced to prison for the crime of raping a 19-year-old woman.Tesfaye Bramble, a former footballer from Ipswich, denied the charges that alleged he raped his victim at the Vermont Hotel in Newcastle in September 2010.
After a four-day trial at Leeds Crown Court earlier this year, he was found guilty and subsequently sentenced to four and a half years in prison.
Judge Geoffrey Marson QC stated that Tesfaye Bramble had displayed no remorse and described his actions as opportunistic.
The victim, now 20, recounted that the incident occurred after she met the Bramble brothers and their companions in the VIP section of Madame Koo's bar in Newcastle, where they had been following a Sunderland match and had booked three rooms at the hotel.
She explained that after assisting her drunken friend home, she returned to the hotel and accepted an invitation to go inside.
She described her distress, stating, "As I was driving, I was retching.
I was in shock.
I cried like I’ve never cried in my life." During the trial, Tesfaye Bramble claimed he entered the bed to "try my luck" and insisted that the sexual activity was consensual.
The judge emphasized that it was clear the woman was asleep and incapable of giving consent, and that Bramble knew this.
He also criticized the attitude prevalent in certain circles, suggesting that women going back to hotel rooms with footballers do so with only one expectation.
After sentencing, Northumbria Police's Acting Det Insp Phil Mordue praised the victim for her strength, courage, and belief in the case.
Tesfaye Bramble had previously played international football for Montserrat and appeared in the Football League with Southend United and Stockport County.
