A man has denied allegations that he raped a woman on a dark night in a rural area and claimed they had had consensual sex.
The 47-year-old accused from Co Louth has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to two charges of rape and sexual assault of the woman on January 3rd, 1998.
He told defence counsel Mr Padraic O'Higgins SC he met the 43-year-old separated mother of three shortly after he arrived at a Drogheda disco. They later chatted, drank and danced.
He said he paid her compliments about the way she moved on the dance floor and remarked that she was a very sexy person.
She told him if he was looking for sex he was speaking to the wrong person as she did not have sex on a first date but possibly on a second.
He said he made it clear he did not want a relationship and they parted company until he met her again at the end of the night.
He told Mr O'Higgins she asked him for a lift home and that he made a remark as to whether she had changed her mind about sex.
He claimed she then laughed and smiled and asked him if he had condoms or some cigarettes.
He bought both and assumed they were going back to her house, but she told him they could not go there. He explained to her his car was at Collon and she agreed to accompany him in a taxi to fetch it.
He said they were kissing and petting for practically the whole taxi journey and at this stage he was getting aroused. The accused man told the jury that basically he was there to have sex.
Shortly after he joked and asked for £3 for the cigarettes and said she got annoyed and called him a "bastard" and left the car.
He attempted to look for her and stopped her on the side of a road and told her not to be "silly" and he would take her home.
He told prosecuting counsel Mr Michael Durack SC he thought the reason gardai wanted to speak to him was that he had parked his car in Collon until the early hours. He said he was stunned and shocked when arrested.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Barr and a jury of five men and seven women.