A 22-year-old man accused of raping a woman near a Portmarnock nightclub said she consented to sex with him and never told him to stop, a Central Criminal Court jury has heard.
"The only time she hesitated was before the actual sexual intercourse," the then 18-year-old man told gardaí when he was arrested at the scene shortly after the alleged rape on May 20th, 2001 near Tamango disco in Portmarnock.
Det Garda David Gallagher told prosecuting counsel, Mr Paul Coffey SC (with Mr Damien Colgan BL), that the accused claimed he never used force to compel her to engage in sexual activities with him.
He told gardaí she told him after kissing him and engaging in foreplay that she had never had sexual intercourse before. Apart from hesitating just before intercourse, he said, they both had a pleasurable time.
He said he realised she was telling the truth about not having had sexual intercourse before.
Det Gda Gallagher said the accused denied knowing why she was seen leaving the scene of the rape in such distress. He said that once they had sexual intercourse she seemed to be in a "pissed off" mood and demanded to know where her bag was.
She left him lying on the grass in the garden where the incident took place and he did not follow her because she seemed angry.
He claimed he was not hiding from her friends who came looking for him after she met them and made allegations of rape against him. He said he did not know they were looking for him, he was under the impression they were a bunch of lads looking for a fight.