A man accused of raping a Cork woman in 1996 had aspirations to be a TD, a jury in the Central Criminal Court has been told.
When questioned by gardai a month after the alleged rape, the defendant said he was a regional officer of Fianna Fail.
He met the now 49-year-old woman in a nightclub when he stopped for a last drink on the way home from a Fianna Fail function which was attended by his party leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, and the entire front bench of the party.
He had spoken to a lot of people, including Mr Ahern. "I have aspirations to be a TD at some time. If somebody nominates me in the future I will run," he told gardai.
The man's statement was read to the court by Garda Daniel Ahern. In reply to Mr Justice Carney, Garda Ahern said the material about Fianna Fail was volunteered by the defendant. The 38-year-old defendant has pleaded not guilty to raping the woman in the early morning of September 3rd-4th, 1996.
He claimed they had consensual sex in his car as he was giving her a lift home from the nightclub. The woman has told the court that she did not consent to sex and pleaded with him to stop.
In his statement, the defendant said he left the function before 1 a.m. and about 20 minutes later he stopped at the nightclub to have another drink. The woman approached him and in conversation she said she had had 12 drinks. He advised her not to drive home and he offered her a lift.
She observed how peaceful a nearby town was and he drove there instead of going to her home. They got out of the car to smoke and as they were getting back into the vehicle they kissed. Later, she said she wanted to go home. They took a wrong turn and when the car passed an opening into a field he stopped and reversed into it.
"It was a conscious decision on my part to stop the car as I was still sexually aroused as a result of the kissing in the car. I leaned over and we started kissing again," the defendant said in his statement.
He undid her blouse and as he was removing her tights she took one leg out voluntarily. He crossed over to her side of the car but stopped when she said she did not want to go any further.
"I tried to persuade her to go on as I was very aroused at this stage and we were kissing," he said. They then had sex.
Afterwards, she became upset and said she wished it had not happened. "She told me that she had been raped eight years ago by either a doctor's son or a young doctor and that she had done nothing about it and that on this occasion I was going to pay for what I did."
He said he realised she was accusing him of rape. He apologised to her on several occasions, telling her that he had believed the act was consensual.
"I stressed to her that I used no force, beat her or pulled her hair. Since the date of this incident I have been expecting the guards to call to me," he added.
The trial continues on Monday.