A MAN alleged to have raped a teenage girl at a Widnes nightclub last year has gone on trial.
Matthew Smith, 26, of The Glen in Palacefields, Runcorn, appeared at Warrington Crown Court, inset, accused of one count of rape, which he denies.
Opening the trial on Monday, Simon Mills, prosecuting, told the court that the alleged incident occurred in July last year in the early hours of the morning of Sunday, July 19, at the Pulse Bar where the defendant was working as the manager.
Mr Mills told the court that the alleged victim, now 18, and her friends had initially gone to The Chambers in Runcorn but were not let in as they had no identification, and headed to Widnes.
The prosecution said that after the group entered the Pulse Bar the defendant offered them free shots, as well as a VIP booth, and a bottle of vodka and mixer drinks for £45.
He said the victim later had a cigarette outside the club with one of her friends and that when she came back to the table, she noticed her mobile phone was ‘missing’, which made her ‘upset and distressed’.
She later went with a friend to the manager’s office where the defendant was after asking at the bar if the phone had been handed in.
Mr Mills said that Smith told the alleged victim she would have to ‘prove’ she owned the phone in the manager’s office and that he later said only one person was allowed in the room at a time.
During the incident the defendant ‘bent’ the complainant over and ‘pulled her dress up’, the court heard.
He added that she ‘describes events as all being a bit of a blur’ and told the jury that the ‘overall issue is consent’.
The prosecution said that the defendant’s case is that intercourse with the alleged victim was with her consent and at her ‘instigation’.
Mr Mills added that CCTV footage was also to be played to the jury during the trial which ‘seems’ to show the complainant ‘hugging’ the defendant.
An interview conducted by police with the complainant was also played to the jury on Monday.
She told the officer: “He didn’t ask me ‘can we have sex?’
“It was so painful.
“I did not know what to do to be honest.
“All this happened so quickly.
“All I can remember is being bent over.
“I just remember being in a lot of pain and saying ‘no, I don’t want to.’
“I did not want to do it but I didn’t go crazy or fight back because I was scared.”
The complainant also told the officer that she remembered the defendant ‘locking the door’.
She added that prior to this her and three friends had shared the bottle of vodka they were given, but did not drink all of it.
The trial is estimated to last for four days.
Proceeding.
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/