Ched Evans fiancée Natasha Massey has explained why she stood by him through rape trial

The 28-year-old has opened up about sticking by footballer Ched Evans when he was accused of rape.

The fiancée of former Premier League footballer Ched Evans has given her reasons for sticking with her partner through his conviction, time in prison and acquittal. Speaking to The Telegraph, Natasha Massey admitted it was the cheating that Ched did that disgusted her more than the rape allegations he was accused with.

"It wasn’t the rape allegation, it was personal. It was the fact Ched had cheated on me, he’d ruined the trust that we had. I trusted him with my life."

Upon hearing that her boyfriend had cheated with another woman and was charged with rape, Natasha confessed to 'throwing up'. Jailed in 2012, Ched was the centre of serious media controversy for allegedly raping a 19-year-old waitress in a hotel in May 2011. Natasha, his girlfriend at the time spoke of the harassment she was subjected to for sticking with her man, with people shouting " ‘you f***ing mug, staying with a rapist" in the streets. Though he served two years in prison after being found guilty at his first trial, the conviction was later quashed, and he was found not guilty in a second trial which concluded last Friday. https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/786932386592206848 When asked why she believes Ched, Natasha, the director of her father's jewellery business said:

"He couldn’t. I mean the only people who think Ched is a rapist are people who haven’t met him. He’s a big softie. Everyone who knows Ched can see why I’ve stood by him. I know he can be an idiot, and he behaved appallingly, no doubt about that, but rape? No. He hasn’t got it in him."

Ched and Natasha are due to be married in the next few years and have a son together, who was born in January.