City ex-soldier denies rape
WOMAN CLAIMS MAN HAD SEX WITH HER AFTER GIVING HIM A HUG DURING EU REFERENDUM DISCUSSION
A woman told a jury how she was raped by a former soldier from Sunderland after the pair discussed the EU referendum.
The woman admitted giving Stephen Shayo, 34, of Allendale Road, Sunderland, a hug because he was upset about the referendum result.
Shayo claims the sex the pair had later was consensual, but the woman told Teesside Crown Court the hug was “not flirty”.
Prosecutor Paul Abrahams said the victim had been for a night out with friends in Richmond, North Yorkshire, before going to a club in Catterick.
The jury was shown CCTV footage of the woman and Shayo sitting on a grassed area in front of Louis at about 3.50am.
“The pair got into a taxi, which went back to the woman’s house,” said Mr Abrahams.
“She went into her house, followed by the defendant.
“The woman decided to go to bed, hoping Mr Shayo would leave.
“But he climbed into bed with her, and proceeded to have sex, despite the woman pleading with him not to.”
Under cross-examination from Christine Egerton, defending, the woman said her recollection of the evening was not good due to the amount of drink she taken.”
The jury was shown CCTV footage of the woman sitting with Shayo outside the club.
“We were talking about the EU referendum. I wanted to stay in the EU, and so did he, he seemed upset we would be leaving.
“I felt sorry for him, so I gave him a hug, there was nothing flirty about that. We were being friendly.”
The woman denied a suggestion from Ms Egerton she had kissed Shayo, and she said she could not remember them walking together with her arm around his waist, be- fore getting into a taxi to her house.
Ms Egerton put it to the woman they had “sexual activity” on her couch before consensual intercourse in her bed.
The woman replied: “I remember lying on my side when it happened, and me saying ‘please no, please no’, then I told him to get out.”
Ms Egerton said to the woman: “You may feel now you let yourself down that night. But at the time, what happened is what you wanted to happen.”
The woman said: “No, no, I didn’t want it happen.”
Shayo denies rape.