Pianist facing rape trial ‘has left country’
A PIANIST facing trial accused of raping a woman in a practice room at the Royal Northern College of Music is believed to have left the country via the Channel Tunnel.
Jacek Serafin, 30, is alleged to have raped the woman in the early hours following an event at the prestigious music school.
But he has not shown up for his Manchester Crown Court trial. Jurors have been told a person holding the defendant’s identity card left England for France by Eurostar and has not returned.
Prosecutors at a Manchester Crown Court trial say the woman was too intoxicated to consent.
She only recalled drinking two glasses of wine and a pint of cider, but a toxicologist found that the woman was about three times the legal drink-drive limit at the time of the alleged attack. “Somebody must have added something to her drink during the course of the night to cause her to lose consciousness and raise her alcohol levels to such an extent,” prosecutor Vanessa Thomson said.
As Ms Thomson opened the prosecution case to the jury, the trial judge, Anthony Cross QC, told jurors that Polish national Mr Serafin, a postgraduate student at the college, had failed to attend.
He said police made enquiries after Mr Serafin did not attend the proposed first day of trial on Wednesday last week.
Judge Cross told the jury: “The fact that he (Mr Serafin) is not here does not affect your job, which is to decide whether or not he is guilty of the charge of rape.
“But because he is not here you won’t have any evidence from him to contradict or explain the prosecution’s evidence. But his absence is not evidence against him and must not affect your judgement.”
Opening the case, Ms Thomson said the alleged victim was enjoying her night and dancing with friends. While she was dancing, she hid her drink behind pillars, jurors were told.
Ms Thomson said as the night wore on, the woman began to feel ‘strange’ and that ‘everything around her became really rather distorted.’ She said the next thing she remembered was a few hours later, being on the floor of a practice room at the college.
Mr Serafin is accused of raping her there. The jury was told that a security guard saw the defendant with the woman.
Prosecutors say the security guard saw the woman lying face down. He radioed to summon help but received no response and when he went back to the room a few minutes later she had not moved, the court heard.
The prosecution says Mr Serafin picked up the ‘floppy’ and ‘unresponsive’ woman and took her to a taxi outside. The taxi driver said while in his job he had ‘never seen anybody look so drunk.’
Mr Serafin then picked her up and carried her to his home, the court heard. The following morning she reported the allegation.
After being arrested Mr Serafin said ‘****,’ was said to be sweating and ‘seemed to go weak at the knees,’ prosecutors said.
After being interviewed by police again, Mr Serafin told officers that he and the woman had ‘willing’ intercourse in the practice room and that she suddenly became ‘weary’ and fell asleep.
Mr Serafin, of Cheapside, Manchester, denies one count of rape.
Proceeding