[A] MAN accused of raping a woman as she slept has gone on trial at Carlisle Crown Court.
Neil Bell, 51, denies one charge of rape which relates to an alleged incident on October 17, 2015.
Opening the case to jurors, prosecutor Peter Horgan alleged the woman had made it “crystal clear” she did not want to have sex with Bell.
In a video interview with police watched by the jury, the woman told an officer how she was woken by Bell and learned sexual intercourse had occurred. “I just felt sick and dirty because I didn’t know what he was doing while I was asleep,” she said.
As police launched an investigation Bell, of Walls Road, Salterbeck, Workington, was arrested.
Mr Horgan said Bell stated in an interview that the woman, who had been drinking, “was still able to – and clearly did – consent to having sex with him”.
The trial continues.
