Friends say man accused of rape groped them when he was asleep

The jury in the trial of a man who allegedly raped his female friend while he was sleeping has heard from two university friends who claim that he previously groped them while he was asleep.

The accused’s mother and brothers have also given evidence of a family history of sleep disorders, with one brother claiming he woke up to find himself initiating sex with his girlfriend.

The 29-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to one count of raping the woman at an apartment in Dublin in the early hours of September 28, 2008.