Night porter tells court he found rape victim lying naked and injured on floor

The night porter of a Dublin hotel has told a Central Criminal Court jury how he found an alleged rape victim lying naked and injured on the floor of a lift after he responded to a report that someone was screaming for help.

A 54-year-old English man, who can not be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty to rape, oral rape and sexual assault of the woman, whom he had met earlier that night in a pub, on March 20, 2007.

He has also pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill the woman and threatening her that he would kill her sleeping friend.

He has pleaded guilty to assaulting the woman causing her harm on the same occasion.

The night porter told Ms Pauline Walley SC (with Ms Mary Rose Gearty BL), prosecuting, that he was at reception at about 2 am when a guest from the fifth floor called to say someone was screaming for help.

Witness told Ms Walley that as he approached the lift he found two women inside. He said one woman "was naked, in bad condition, and screaming all the time". He said the second woman was "very calm".

He said all he could understand was that the first woman had been beaten and described her face as "just smashed and it was full of blood". He said she was not able to move at all and was lying on the floor of the lift.

The man told Ms Walley that he called gardai and assisted in searching the hotel, which was secured, from the top floor downwards. He said on the third floor he heard garda talking to someone near the laundry room.

Witness agreed with defence counsel, Mr Conor Devally SC (with Mr Paul Carroll BL), during cross examination, that it was his understanding that the woman had been beaten and that was the extent of his report to the gardaí.

The trial continues before Mr Justice George Birmingham and a jury of five men and seven women.