Man denies raping 'vulnerable' woman at park

A man accused of raping an 18-year-old woman in a park has told a court he did not carry out the attack.

Sheraz Malik, 28, is on trial at Birmingham Crown Court accused of three counts of rape against the woman at Sutton Lawn park in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, on 29 June last year.

Malik, who denies three counts of rape, told jurors he did not grab the woman by her hair and claimed she was "happy" during consensual acts.

The woman previously denied under cross-examination that she had lied about being raped in June last year because she was "embarrassed" about having consensual sex.

Warning: This article includes details that some readers may find distressing

Prosecutor Nicholas Corsellis KC previously told the court the woman, who was 18 at the time, had been drinking in the park with a male friend, and was drunk when she met Malik and a group of other men, who she had never seen before.

Her friend asked the group to "look after" her while he went to meet another friend and promised to return in 10 or 15 minutes, the court heard.

"She was alone, drunk and was obviously a vulnerable person. The defendant and one other man decided to take advantage of this," Corsellis said.

One of Malik's associates took the woman to an isolated area of the park so she could go to the toilet, the court heard.

Corsellis said: "The first man forcibly raped her before bringing her back to the group."

The complainant alleges she was attacked by Malik - after being dragged to a tree near a car park by her hair - after another man had also raped her.

Answering questions from defence barrister Simon Eckersley, Malik told jurors: "She was happy, she was drinking and she was happy. She had a kind of vodka bottle and one bottle with cola."

After the alleged rape by another man, Malik said, the woman returned to sit with his group and was happy and laughing.

Denying he had slapped the woman at any point, Malik said: "She said 'I really like you' and 'I really enjoyed it'."

Malik, who was living at an address in Sutton-in-Ashfield, told the court the woman had consented to what took place between them.

Under cross-examination by prosecutor Nicholas Corsellis KC, Malik, who was born in Pakistan and has lived in Italy, Germany and France, said the woman had appeared to be drunk.

Corsellis asked: "She's 18 but she was obviously vulnerable, wasn't she?"

Malik, who gave evidence in English but was assisted by a Pashto interpreter standing next to the witness box, answered: "No."

Asked to describe what had happened when the first man alleged to have raped the woman returned to the group of men, Malik continued: "I saw her and I saw him. They were both like happy face."

The trial continues.

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