‘I met Dominique Pelicot – I had nothing else to do on New Year’s Eve’

A man accused of raping the Monster of Avignon’s wife has told a court he only went there as he had ‘nothing else to do on New Year’s Eve’.

Father-of-two Andy Rodriguez, 37, is one of 50 men said to have raped Dominque Pelicot’s wife Gisele, after he gave her tranquilisers to sedate her.

Pelicot carried out a decade-long nightmare on Mrs Pelicot, who has waived her right to anonymity and become a symbol to French women, in a case that has shocked the country.

Farm worker Rodriguez told the court in Avignon that he was an ‘alcoholic since 14 and a regular user of cocaine’ and admits having sex with Mrs Pelicot but denies rape.

He, like many of the other defendants, are claiming they had no idea she was drugged and assumed it was all part of a ‘consenting scenario’ between Pelicot and his wife, both 71.

Gisele Pelicot arrives at the Palais de Justice in Avignon, France this morning

Dominique Pelicot, who has allegedly drugged and raped his wife Gisele Pelicot, appears during his trial with 50 co-accused at the courthouse in Avignon, France, September 17, 2024 

The 71-year-old arrives with her lawyer at the trial of her former husband and 50 other men accused of raping her

In his testimony Rodriguez described how he’d had a swinging experience before he met Pelicot on New Year’s Eve 2018 at his house in Mazan near Avignon.

Rodriguez said:’ I was in a bar once when a man approached me and said ‘My wife likes you, would you like to sleep with her while I watch ?’

‘I agreed and it happened that same night, with Pelicot I met him New Year’s Eve as I had nothing else to do.

‘I had fallen out with my brothers because of my drinking and drug habit so I went to Pelicot’s house.

‘I never had any intention of raping Mrs Pelicot.’

The court heard that at the time Rodriguez was 31 years old and married with two children while Mrs Pelicot was 66 – more than twice his age.

Rodriguez went on: ‘I’d had a bath, I’d put aftershave on, I’d got ready. An hour after exchanging messages on Coco.fr (swinging site) I was at his house.’

As he gave his evidence Mrs Pelicot listened intently, occasionally shaking her head, with her son David next to her.

In a separate case, Pelicot has been charged with raping and murdering a 23-year-old estate agent in Paris in 1991

Dominique Pelicot has been dubbed ‘the Monster of Avignon’ after he admitted drugging his wife and allowing strangers to rape her in their martial bed

Across the courtroom, in a glass box sat Pelicot, dressed in a pale grey fleece, who rested his cheek on his finger as he followed proceedings.

At one point David left the courtroom and Pelicot looked towards his son but he ignored him.

Meanwhile the court has sparked controversy by emailing media covering the case and asking them to remember the ‘judicial authority must be able to carry out its missions. free from all pressure, in complete independence. ‘

It added:’The trial must be held in a calm climate conducive to the manifestation of truth and respect for the rights of the parties.’

Dominique Pélicot is accused of recruiting men online to assault his wife repeatedly over 10 years

But a representative for the local court reporters association replied: ‘Could you tell us what “pressures” you are referring to ?

‘And if these pressures are due to the behaviour of the journalists present or the work they produce? Which I dare not imagine.’

Last week Nadia El Boiroumi a lawyer representing two of the accused was at the centre of controversy after she posted a video of herself dancing to the Wham hit ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’.

She denied any link between Pelicot’s modus operandi of drugging his wife and instead insisted she was aiming it at critics saying they would have to ‘get up early’ if they wanted to outsmart her.