Woman claims fiance's friend raped her while she was asleep

A woman has told a Central Criminal Court jury that a friend of her fiance performed oral sex on her before he raped her while…

A woman has told a Central Criminal Court jury that a friend of her fiance performed oral sex on her before he raped her while she slept after an impromptu party in her house.

She said she woke to find someone under the duvet and she thought it was her fiance and went back to sleep.

The next thing she remembered was waking up.

She claimed the defendant had penetrated her but said she could not see his face.

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She soon realised it was not her fiance and threw the duvet aside to ask the defendant: "What the f . . . are you doing?" She claimed he told her not to tell anyone. Earlier, the jury was told by Mr Bruce Antoniotti, prosecuting, that the alleged victim had been out with her brother and sister before returning to the house she shared with her fiance. He had been out with the defendant and both returned to the house at about 1 a.m.

They were joined by others and an impromptu party started. At dawn the alleged victim wanted to go to bed and asked the visitors to leave.

Asked by Mr Antoniotti if she had consented to the defendant's alleged actions, she replied: "No."

She agreed she was not sure whether she had responded to some of his actions as she dozed and was unconscious. The alleged victim agreed with Mr Paul O'Higgins SC (with Mr Tony Hunt), defending, that the defendant had immediately stopped when she had realised who was in her bed.

The 28-year-old defendant denies raping the woman on May 24th, 1997, at an address in Co Dublin.

He has also pleaded not guilty to two further charges of aggravated sexual assault and of sexual assault of the woman on the same occasion.

The alleged victim's brother told Mr Antoniotti that his sister woke him in the lounge room. She was crying and made accusations against the defendant.

Mr Antoniotti said that in a statement to gardai, the defendant said he felt "disgusted and ashamed" and that he had "lost everything for a cheap thrill". He added that he hoped he would be forgiven some time.

The case continues before Mr Justice Kinlen and a jury.