The trial for a man accused of the attempted murder and kidnap of his wife took a shocking turn this week as he was able to cross-examine his alleged victim after a judge ruled that he could represent himself.
Trevor Summers, 45, has pleaded not guilty to the charges in relation to allegations of abducting his former partner Alisa Mathewson in March 2017 and holding her captive for two days.
After Mathewson asked Summers for a divorce and to live separately, prosecutors claim that he convinced their 14-year-old daughter to leave a window open of her Florida home before breaking in and tying her to the bed.
Summers is also facing charges of attempted first-degree murder for claims that he smothered Mathewson with a pillow until she passed out and strangled her with a rope on a separate occasion.
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Despite the serious charges he's facing, the suspect fired his defence team and requested to represent himself.
In a clip shared by Law & Crime's Cathy Russon, the judge can be seen trying to decipher if Summers has 'any doubt' regarding his capacity to represent himself in the trial at the Hillsborough County courthouse.
After determining that he isn't under the influence of drugs and alcohol and isn't suffering from any mental health conditions, the judge tells him that he doesn't think it is a 'wise decision'.
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Nonetheless, Summers decided to go ahead and on Wednesday, 24 August, he cross-examined Mathewson, during which time she confronted her ex-husband.
During the questioning, Summers asked Mathewson about whether he had threatened her to have sex with him. She responded: "Prior to having sex, you did push me, you did hold me down, you did tie me up, you did attack me, and you did break into my home when I was sleeping. You raped me."
He asked: "So you're calling it rape?" to which Mathewson replied: "It is. That is the definition of rape to come into someone's home and attack them and tie them up and then have sex with them. That is the definition of rape."
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If the jury finds Summers guilty of the charges against him, he faces life in prison.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 802 9999 between 12pm–2.30pm and 7pm– 9.30pm every day. Alternatively, you can contact Victim Support free on 08 08 16 89 111 available 24/7, every day of the year, including Christmas.
Male Survivors Partnership is available to support adult male survivors of sexual abuse and rape. You can contact the organisation on their website or on their free helpline 0808 800 5005, open 9am–5pm Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays; 8am–8pm Tuesdays and Thursdays; 10am–2pm Saturdays.
Daisy Phillipson