Woman was 'relaxed' about sexual encounter, says rape accused

A man accused of raping a woman beside her boyfriend in a Tipperary hotel room told gardai he had consensual sex with her and that she’d seemed “relaxed about it.”

The man said in interview shortly after his arrest that the woman had been awake when he stripped in front of her and got into her bed and that he did not recall her boyfriend in the room.

The 26-year-old admitted he was drunk on the night but denied he only remembered what suited him and that he had snuck into the couple’s room naked to have sex with the complainant.

He insisted he had not expected to have sex with the woman, that he was “just going with the flow” on entering the room and that “no way Jesus” did he rape her.

The accused has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to raping the woman at the Tipperary hotel after a wedding function on July 7, 2008

Garda Declan O’Carroll said the man told him during interview that he would have remembered the boyfriend if he had been in the bed.

The garda told Mr Eanna Molloy SC, prosecuting with Ms Caroline Cummins BL, that the accused said he could not remember any details of conversation with the woman before he went to her room.

Gda O’Carroll said he put it to the man that he did not seem to remember much of the night.

The man replied that he could not recall being asleep on a couch before going to the room but that he remembered the woman was awake when he got into bed and that he fell asleep beside her after sex, before the boyfriend started beating him.

He said he had “no clue” how his belongings and clothes got into the adjoining room when he recalled getting undressed the in the double room.

He suggested the clothes may have been “kicked” into that room during the row between the couple after he was kicked out.

Gda O’Carroll told Mr Molloy that the man admitted he had unprotected sex with the woman and may have ejaculated inside her.

The man said he knew the woman had consented to the sex because she was comfortable and “seemed to be enjoying it”.

The trial continues before Mr Justice John Edwards and a jury of seven men and five women.