Antoni Imiela denies nine counts of rape and one of abduction

Antoni Imiela, 49, of Appledore, denies committing the rapes and kidnap and indecent assault in Birmingham.

In the case at Maidstone Crown Court, Mark Dennis, prosecuting, said the man responsible had shown he had a "dual personality" in some attacks.

He said the attacker had often been "reckless" in his actions.

'Only two options'

In his closing speech, Mr Dennis said the pattern of rapes seen in the case was a "powerfully rare event".

He told the jury that while accepting that the defendant could never be the only person to commit rape at any time over the last few years, the pattern and nature of the attacks were "significant".

He earlier said Mr Imiela had no option but to claim evidence linking him to attacks was fabricated, as "even he" could not explain the link.

Mr Dennis said a fingerprint found on a bag carried by a 14-year-old rape victim was "absolutely conclusive evidence" that Mr Imiela had carried out the attack in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

He also asked the jury to consider a comment allegedly made by Mr Imiela to a police officer shortly after his arrest that he was "not going to see the light of day for this".

It was "hardly the comment of a man protesting his innocence", the prosecutor said.

Mr Imiela is accused of raping five women and three girls between November 2001 and October 2002.