Man accused of raping pal says he was ‘sleepwalking’

A man accused of raping a friend eight years ago told gardaí he was “sleepwalking” and wasn’t aware of what he was doing, a trial has heard.

The question of whether the man was sleepwalking or not will be central to the case, the jury was told on the first day of the trial yesterday at the Central Criminal Court.

The man, 29, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty to one count of raping the woman at an apartment in Dublin on September 28, 2008.