Powys border woman says she never met 'duped' accused

Blade Silvano, 40, denied she tricked the unnamed woman into having sexual intercourse with her on at least two occasions under cross-examination at Cambridge Crown Court.

Instead, she said the relationship only existed “online” and via “sexting” - brushing aside descriptions of their physical contact as part of their “fantasy”.

Prosecutors examining Silvano today (Fri) read out a series of explicit messages, which they suggested made clear reference to her being a man.

But Silvano insisted on each occasion that this was simply part of their ongoing “role play” and strongly denied that she had ever visited the victim’s home.

She told the court: “I was never there. I have never been there. I never met [her] until she came to court this week. That’s the first time I have ever seen her."

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After meeting on a dating site 2016, prosecutors alleged Silvano went on to have “full sex” at her victim's home - although she never allowed her to see or touch "his" genitalia.

But the victim said she reported Silvano to cops after discovering her true gender and said she never consented to having sex with a woman.

Today, prosecutor Michael Hillman, cross-examining the defendant, went through a series of messages that the pair had sent each other during their two-year “affair”.

And he claimed this offered evidence that Silvano had continued to make reference to her “penis” and her male gender in these explicit exchanges.

One message sent from the victim said “I love you my husband”.

Silvano provided various rebuttals to the idea she had pretended to have a penis, claiming the exchanges were all part of fantasy role-play between the pair.

She told the court: “It was a scenario, the fantasy that we used to live together online. It could be playful."

Mr Hillman also showed pictures Silvano sent to the victim of her shaving - suggesting the defendant had gone out of her way to portray herself as a man.

But Silvano queried whether she had a masculine appearance.

READ MORE: Powys border woman denies pretending she was a man to lover

Mr Hillman said one of the exchanges between the pair showed they’d spent intimate time together - where Silvano’s victim had written how she “loved wearing” the defendant’s T-shirt.

The prosecutor also said messages between the pair referenced how Silvano wouldn’t take her top off when she was in her victim’s company.

But Silvano said all their contact took place over the camera, not in person, claimning that she was "self-conscious".

Mr Hillman also told the court how the pair had first met up in a carpark, with messages suggesting the defendant had “scrunched” a crips packet down the victim's top.

But the defendant said the exchange he referenced took place on a phone camera.

“I said if I was there I would have 'stuffed it down your top',” Silvano said.

Mr Hillman said Silvano’s victim had found out about her true sexuality when she reset her phone and saw her true profile on Facebook.

And he said a message sent to the defendant revealed her shock when she wrote: “You are female???”

Speaking of the victim he went on: “To come up with the account that she has come up with she would have had to go through all these messages over a two-year period to make it match up.

“She would have had to be an intellectual genius.”

Silvano replied: “That’s what she has done. People are strange.”

Silvano, of Bishop's Castle, denies two counts of assault by penetration.

The trial continues.